Fire in the Blood
by Whitewave42
Summary: Sequel to Playing with Fire. Maura is a vampire, hunted and hated. How will she find new meaning in her existence? How can Jane help her? What new dangers will the world of vampires and hybrids throw at them? Recommend reading PWF first!
1. Chapter 1

Hi All! Welcome back to the Playing with Fire universe! This story follows on almost directly, so I definitely recommend reading PWF if you haven't already, otherwise this probably won't make a whole lot of sense.

I would like to thank JaneyGWF for volunteering to beta this story for me as well as our other collaboration and writing her own epic tale. You are awesome! Everyone go read her stories!

A general disclaimer: I don't own any characters, places, vampiric mythologies etc. from either Rizzoli and Isles or Twilight, I'm just stirring them together and showing you the results!

This story takes place after season 5 episode 12, I will mention events that happened in the show so there may be spoilers.

Enjoy!

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Jane was restless. She was almost done with being poked and prodded, but her final day in hospital was grating on her last nerve. The amused expression on Frankie's face wasn't helping at all.

It had been 42 days since the mob raid in the warehouse. The mob had all but collapsed after the police won the day, their top men all arrested or dead. The crime rate in Boston had dropped dramatically. The police had gone from being run ragged to having nothing to do within a month.

This left plenty of time for them to come and annoy Jane. She was the only cop still in hospital after the raid. The other ten officers injured in the assault had mostly been discharged within a week, with the last leaving almost two weeks ago. There had been a visitor from the BPD almost every day since she had been admitted. Jane seemed to be a source of pride, but also amusement since nobody, including Jane, could quite explain how she had ended up in such a battered state.

Her left arm had been broken in five places and the nerve damage had been difficult to repair. The doctors had been struggling to understand how she had managed to mangle her arm so badly.

She couldn't exactly tell them that a vampire had picked her up and tried to twist her arm off. She had insisted that she had gotten into a close combat fight with a particularly gargantuan mobster, which resulted in the multiple bruises and breaks she had sustained. She had tried to pass the bite mark on her hand off as a weird shaped cut from a hand rail, but she knew Cavanaugh hadn't bought that. Frankie had tried to back up her story, but there was lingering doubt surrounding her and they both knew it.

After four surgeries, her arm was on its way to regaining its usefulness despite being filled with enough metal to start a hardware store. She could grip things again, she could lift light objects, but her fine motor control was shot. Her pinkie and ring finger were the worst off, barely exerting any pressure when she could get them to move at all. She was looking at several months of physical therapy before she could even think about returning to work. But now it was finally time for her to go home.

Frankie had been visiting almost every day. He had been extremely supportive of Jane; helping her with therapy where possible, bringing her dinner, chatting with her for hours over a ball game. However, Jane had noticed that he was less enthusiastic around her than he used to be, and she didn't know how to get around it.

Since the near-revelation of the truth surrounding their mother's death, Frankie had completely avoided the subject. He was obviously still thinking about it, as evidenced by his tendency to zone out in the middle of a conversation with Jane, but he hadn't mentioned the incident or the underlying secret. He seemed to have accepted his decision not to know, as long as he didn't need to hear about the subject or confront the person at the centre of it.

Unfortunately this avoidance and his constant presence meant that Jane had barely seen Maura for the past month. She would slip in Jane's window at night in between nurse rounds and stay for maybe an hour before she would slip out again, claiming she could hear someone approaching. On more than one occasion she had been wrong, which made Jane suspect Maura was limiting their time together on purpose. Any attempt to address this issue had been skilfully deflected.

Jane had no idea what Maura was doing to occupy all of her time. Since she was still wanted for murder, Maura couldn't go home, or talk to anyone she knew except Jane. The fact that she didn't sleep meant that she had a ridiculous amount of time to be alone, and Jane was sure that couldn't be good for her.

Any attempt by Jane to bring up her mother's death and how Maura was dealing with it was followed by a quick subject change. Maura would say she was fine before babbling about Jane's recovery, or Frankie, or Tommy, or their colleagues, or any of a dozen other topics that were completely unrelated. Jane had spotted the pattern about a month ago, but had been unsuccessful in getting Maura to open up.

Frankly, Jane was worried about her friend. She hadn't reverted to being the emotionless zombie that had scared Jane more than she could articulate, but she was definitely more withdrawn than Jane had ever seen her before. She seemed animated enough when she was talking with Jane, but Jane could recognise a brave face from the doctor when she saw it.

Jane had also felt the distancing and tension that Maura was experiencing directly. Not long after her last surgery she had been in enough pain to ask Maura to use her power to help dampen it, just to get a few minutes of peace so they could talk properly. The resulting sensation had been different to the overwhelming love and comfort she had felt while under Maura's influence during the mob raid, and afterwards in the hospital. Her pain was dimmed, but she had also felt jittery and energised instead of soothed. She wasn't sure exactly what the feeling meant, but it had been obvious that Maura was experiencing a lot of agitation. Maura had brushed off the discrepancy when Jane asked about it, giving the flimsy excuse of being alert to the approach of any nurses.

During the last week leading up to her release from hospital Jane had only seen Maura once. She had timed her visit so they could only talk for ten minutes before being interrupted by a nurse, and Maura hadn't returned. They had been avoiding contact via phone in case someone checked Jane's call history, so Jane was once again left to wonder where Maura was and what she was doing.

It was Jane's hope that once she was out of the hospital she would have more opportunities to get Maura to open up. She needed to understand what was going on in her friend's head. The events of the last few months had impacted them both immensely, and Jane knew that Maura didn't tend to process emotions well without someone to talk to. Her automatic preference was to avoid them until they went away, and Jane wasn't sure that was a viable coping mechanism with Maura's photographic memory. It was more likely that she would devise a way to function despite the pain she was in and get stuck in that state until something else came along to upset the balance.

Jane had tried to remain patient and optimistic, both with Maura and her own medical situation, but her patience with both was nearly gone. Fortunately, her doctor had decided that she would be allowed home today, with the promise that she would maintain the strengthening exercises she had started and come back for sessions with a physical therapist every weekday for the next month.

Frankie had graciously volunteered to be her driver, but he seemed to be deriving entirely too much pleasure from watching her endure her final check-up.

Jane rolled her eyes as Frankie tried once again to wipe the smirk off his face. "Can you wait outside or something? You'd think you'd never seen me get discharged from hospital before!"

Frankie cocked his head to the side. "I've seen this particular show more times than I've seen Die Hard. I've just never seen you quite so eager to be out the door when you know you aren't going back to work. You got a hot date or something?"

Jane sighed, knowing he was right but also knowing he wouldn't want to talk about the real reason she was anxious to leave. "I just miss my couch. And my TV. And my privacy."

Frankie rolled his eyes on his way out the door to find somewhere else to wait. Jane felt bad for making him leave, but she was so on edge that she couldn't help acting prickly. She just wanted to go home.

Finally her paperwork was signed, her medications were gathered, her bags were packed and she was on her way home. She sighed in relief as they pulled up at her building, with Frankie giving her a knowing look as he got out to grab her bags.

Jane carefully manoeuvred out of the car, taking a moment to revel in the fresh air with no hospital smells. Frankie slapped her hand away when she reached out to take a bag, indicating she should go ahead of him and open her door.

Her apartment was just as she left it. She felt a slight pang when she saw the layer of dust that covered everything; she couldn't help thinking of all the times her ma had prepared for her return home from a hospital visit by cleaning everything and packing her fridge full of home-cooked meals. She sat down on the couch and waited for Frankie to finish putting her bags down in her bedroom.

He joined her after a few minutes, handing her a drink of water. The sat in awkward silence for a while, both unsure how to proceed. Usually when one of them got out of the hospital their ma would be there fussing, Maura would be there also fussing but in a more sensible way, and Frankie and Jane would be free to simply make fun of each other. Now they were missing those key players in the game, and they were uncomfortable trying to step in and fill their roles.

Finally Frankie couldn't take the silence any more. "So, have you talked to Maura lately?"

Jane choked on her water. Frankie pounded on her back until she recovered, looking equal parts worried and entertained.

Jane gradually got her breathing under control, managing to choke out a reply. "Maura? You want to talk about her? Why now?"

Frankie shifted uncomfortably before answering. "I just figured that you guys were probably still talking but not telling me, and now that you're out you'll be seeing her more. I just don't want you to feel like you can't talk to me about her, or that she can't be here if I'm here."

Jane gave her brother an appraising look. "Are you saying you want to see her? You want to talk to her?"

Frankie looked torn. "No….yes….no? I dunno Jane, I really don't. You said that ma wasn't her fault, and I trust you, and I used to trust her, but I don't really know how to act around you guys because I know there is something you aren't telling me. And I know I agreed to that, but it's still true!"

He sighed in resignation. "I just don't want to make you feel like you have to hide stuff from me. I know you didn't want to tell me this big secret to keep me safe, and I really appreciate that, but I also want you to have someone to talk to, you know? So if me being around Maura means you're okay, then I guess that's okay."

Jane smiled gratefully. "Thanks Frankie. That's really great of you."

She moved to give him a hug, the motion made awkward because of her damaged arm. He returned the hug happily, still just happy that his sister was home and okay.

Jane sighed. "And in answer to your question, I'm not sure what's going on with Maura. I haven't seen her in nearly a week. I really haven't seen her much at all since I got to the hospital. I was hoping to see her more now that I'm out, but I just don't know."

Frankie looked surprised. "She hasn't been checking on you? After how worried she was I thought she'd be there every chance she got."

Jane considered how to answer without giving anything away. "Well she doesn't necessarily need to be there to check on me. She probably knew I was fine and didn't want to cause any issues. It wouldn't look good for her to get caught there in my room."

Frankie obviously realised that the conversation was drifting towards the secret 'elephant in the room' and veered away. "Well that's good. I guess she'll come by and see you then. I'll get out of here so she doesn't feel weird about seeing me. Can you tell her I don't mind if she's here when I'm here?"

Jane smiled as they got up. "If I see her I'll let you know. Thanks for the lift home, I'll see you tomorrow for therapy."

Frankie nodded and gave her another careful hug before letting himself out.

Jane sighed. Her little brother had responded to this whole situation so maturely. She was really proud of him.

She spent the afternoon slowly cleaning her apartment and packing away her clothes. It was extremely awkward since she could only use her non-dominant hand, but she eventually got the place clean.

As night fell Jane felt a burst of anticipation. She could admit to herself how excited she was to see Maura and hoped she would come tonight. They hadn't had a chance to arrange anything, but she hoped that her friend would realise how much she was needed.

Her hope was rewarded an hour later when she heard her bedroom window slide open. A huge smile broke out on her face as she saw Maura walk out of her room smiling, although her friend's smile didn't quite make it to her eyes.

Maura gently hugged Jane before leading her to the couch. "Welcome home Jane. Did everything go as planned with your release?"

Jane sighed. The brave face was back; Maura was trying to sound normal, but the tension that had characterised all their recent interactions was definitely still there. Instead of answering Jane just fixed Maura with a questioning look and waited.

Maura maintained her cheerful expression for a few seconds before it crumpled into a confused and worried grimace. "What? Did something go wrong?"

Jane let her stew for a few seconds before answering. "Not buying it Maura. I've let you get away with this avoiding thing you've been doing, but there is nobody coming to take my blood pressure, there are no surgeries, Frankie won't be back here today. We're going to both sit here and talk about whatever is going on with you that you don't want to tell me. Okay?"

Maura did an excellent impersonation of a goldfish before responding. "I…there's nothing going on, I just didn't want to…."

Jane cut her off with a slight smirk. "Nope, still not buying it. You've been dodging me for a month. I miss you."

Maura's face softened for a moment, her eyes flicking up to meet Jane's with a guilty and pained look. Jane saw the moment when her resolve hardened before she spoke. "There's nothing to discuss. I'm fine Jane. How are you doing now that you're home?"

Jane flopped back in frustration. It seemed Maura was really determined to avoid whatever this was. She usually would have cracked by now. Jane had an uncomfortable thought.

"Is it me? Do you not want to come visit me anymore?"

Maura's face looked almost panicked as she scrambled to reply, reaching for Jane's hand as she spoke. "No! Of course I want to be here! It's just…."

Jane huffed as Maura trailed off again. "See, I know there's something. Spit it out Maura!"

Maura pulled her hand back and buried her face in her hands, looking extremely frustrated and worried. Jane could clearly see that she was fighting with herself, wanting to tell Jane but also terrified to tell her.

Jane softened her voice. "Maur, come on, just say it, whatever it is. After all we've been through, you know I won't bite your head off."

Maura peeked out of her hands, scrutinising Jane's expression and apparently finding the comfort there she needed. She settled back into her normal sitting position before speaking.

"Jane, I just don't think it's the best thing for you if I'm here all the time. You need to be focusing on healing, and your physical therapy, and getting back to your job. You don't need me and my world invading your life and disrupting it any more after everything that's already happened. You should try to live a normal life. You can't do that if I'm here reminding you of everything that isn't normal."

Jane relaxed in relief. She had been expecting something like this from Maura; if this was her only concern it could be dealt with.

"Maura, I chose to reconnect with you, remember? I reached out, I volunteered. I want you here. My life won't ever be the same as it was before all of this happened, but cutting you out of my life now won't change that. I'll still know everything, but if you were gone I wouldn't have anyone to talk to about it. And there is no way in hell I'm letting you be alone; we covered that already. I think we need each other. And I don't think you want to leave me either."

Maura looked torn. "Of course I don't want to leave you, and I wouldn't, even if you told me to go I'd still make sure you were okay. I made a promise and I'll keep it whether you know I'm here or not. And I know that you reached out to me, but I think that if you just tried to forget about me and tried to move on you'd have a happier life."

Jane couldn't take the sad look on Maura's face any more. "Maura, please stop talking like this! You are a part of my life, okay? You are my normal."

Maura smiled, a small one but a genuine one. Jane smiled back, happy to see a real reaction from her friend.

Maura seemed to have run out of arguments for the moment. Jane suspected this may have a lot to do with the fact that Maura didn't really want to be told to leave. Jane had long understood that Maura's nature didn't allow her to selfishly ask for anything, even Jane's friendship, and she couldn't help loving her for it.

Jane grabbed Maura's hand with her good hand. "Okay, here's how this will work. You will come and visit me at least once a day. I will get better with your help and return to work. Sound good?"

Maura smiled again, a little more enthusiastically this time. Jane kept hold of the hand she had grabbed as she settled back into the couch.

As Jane was about to speak, a knock sounded at the door. The pair looked at each other in confusion.

Maura dropped Jane's hand as she jumped up in alarm. "I thought you said nobody was supposed to be coming over tonight?"

Jane got up as well. "Not as far as I know. Go out the window, come back in an hour or so."

Jane heard the whoosh of vampire speed as she moved over to the door. She waited a moment to give Maura time to get out before swinging open the door.

"Constance?"


	2. Chapter 2

Hi all! Welcome back to the story! Hope you enjoy!

Thanks to JaneyGWF for beta services yet again!

Please send through a review if you have anything to say!

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Jane's mouth hung open in shock at the sight of the dignified woman standing in her doorway. Constance didn't look happy; her mouth was fixed in a tight line and her eyes bored into Jane ferociously. After a few seconds Constance cocked an eyebrow at Jane, which snapped her out of her surprised stupor.

"Sorry, Constance, come in."

Constance gracefully swept into the room, her eyes scanning the entire place quickly before swinging back to rest on Jane. After closing the door and following Constance to the couch Jane finally took in the thick folder clasped in Constance's hands with trepidation.

Jane decided to try to stay calm. She hadn't seen Constance since her mother's funeral, and had barely spoken to her. She definitely wasn't expecting a surprise visit.

Clearing her throat nervously Jane decided to try Maura's usual hospitality icebreaker. "Can I offer you a drink? Water…uh, I may only have water. I just got back from the hospital."

Constance maintained her steely glare. "No, thank you. Please feel free to get one for yourself however, we have much to discuss."

Despite not being thirsty, Jane went to get a glass anyway and used the opportunity to take a few calming breaths. Constance was giving off an extremely confrontational vibe, and Jane wasn't sure why. When they had spoken previously it hadn't seemed like Constance blamed her for Maura's disappearance or her public downfall, but something seemed to have changed her mind.

Slowly making her way back to the couch Jane sat warily and looked at Constance expectantly.

Constance took a moment to scrutinise Jane before diving right in. "Alright. You can probably surmise that I am here about Maura. I haven't seen or heard from her in months, since she returned from that kidnapping. I noticed at the time that something had changed about her, but I allowed her to convince me that she was alright. That was obviously not the case, as evidenced by where we find ourselves now. Firstly I need to ask; have you seen my daughter since your mother's death?"

Jane suppressed the urge to flinch at Constance's accusing tone. "No, of course not. On medical leave or not, I would have to arrest her if I saw her. Maura knows not to come anywhere near me, or any of the other cops."

Constance raised an eyebrow. "She knows that, does she? Alright."

Jane internally swore. She had almost tripped up, but attempting to cover her fumble would look even more suspicious. Instead she allowed her gaze to become slightly icier to match Constance's and waited for the next question.

Constance didn't disappoint, flipping open the folder and glancing at the contents. "My next question is about your mother's murder. You gave a statement to Detective Korsak that an intruder entered Maura's house and threatened both you and Maura. At some point in the confrontation your mother walked in."

Jane stood up and looked at the sheets of paper in Constance's file. She could see crime scene photos, witness statements, possibly even an autopsy report.

Her voice was shot through with anger as she spoke. "How did you get those files? That's all restricted information, this is an open homicide investigation! An investigation into my mother's death! How dare you come and talk to me about that!"

Constance simply cocked her head to the side and gave Jane an amused glare. "You are in no position to lecture me about interfering with an open investigation, Detective. Now either you sit down and answer my questions or we move on to my next method of inquiry. I promise you will like it far less."

Jane glared at the proud woman facing off with her and weighed her options. She knew Constance could pull some hefty strings, and she didn't want to make things difficult for herself if it could be avoided. She also still felt guilty for being unable to tell Constance what had really happened, for allowing her to believe for even a moment that Maura had willingly killed someone.

Jane slowly sat back down, her posture still hostile. "Go ahead, ask your questions. But I won't tell you anything that might impede the investigation. And if you disrespect my mother I will throw you out on your ass, understood?"

Constance seemed unaffected by the threat and simply flipped to the next page of the witness statements. "My question for you is this. You said that the intruder grabbed your mother, then took out some sort of weapon. Maura then took the weapon and killed your mother. Is this the case?"

Jane vaguely remembered that being the story she had constructed. It sounded even more flimsy now than it had at the time. "That sounds right. I didn't see the weapon if that's what you wanted to know."

Constance smiled minutely, conveying no warmth with the expression. "No, that's not what I wanted to know. What I want to know is if Maura killed your mother with this weapon and the intruder left at that point, why was your mother's cause of death exsanguination? There was no blood found on the ground at the scene, there were no containers that could have stored the blood, so where did it all go?"

Jane forced herself not to react. By some miracle nobody had questioned that part of her statement before, even though Jane had thought it was an obvious omission. She imagined that whoever was investigating the case had decided to believe her statement at face value; the fact that Maura hadn't been seen since certainly suggested her guilt. The fact that a mob war had started a few days later had probably helped their case too; there had been nobody available to investigate anything properly.

Jane cleared her throat again. "I don't know what happened. Everything got a bit murky at that point; I'm not exactly certain when the intruder left. Maybe they were still there and took the blood, I'm not sure. Why does that matter?"

Constance snapped the folder closed loudly, her voice steely. "You are lying detective. I don't believe my daughter did kill your mother, but for some reason she was forced to run and left you free to accuse her. I am going to force the homicide department to revisit your statement. They will realise you are lying and stop hunting my daughter. I will make sure you never work as a police officer again!"

Jane jumped up from the lounge and was about to reply when a blonde figure rushed into the room. "You'll do no such thing Mother!"

Jane gaped at Maura uncomprehendingly. She thought Maura had left, but here she was facing off angrily with her mother, her hands clenched at her sides, her amber eyes blazing.

Constance looked unsurprised to see Maura, rising gracefully from her seat and turning to face her daughter with poise. Jane noticed her eyes flick between Maura's off-putting eyes and her expression momentarily waver, before the icy façade returned. "Hello Maura, thank you for joining us. I wasn't sure you were going to come out."

Maura frowned, Jane mimicking the expression as she stepped forward. "You knew she was here?"

Constance gave them an exasperated look. "Of course I did, we bugged your house."

Constance smiled knowingly at their shocked expressions. "I knew the moment Maura came in through the window. I also hired the security personnel that are watching every exit from the house to make sure she didn't run once I got here."

Jane looked at Maura in surprise, who nodded towards Jane. "That's why I'm still here, I spotted them when I went to the window."

Jane crossed her arms and glared at Constance. She didn't want to presume anything on Maura's behalf, but she was fighting the impulse to toss Constance out right now and take whatever petty vengeance she earned.

Maura on the other hand looked conflicted. Jane had seen the old Maura flare up for a moment there, but now she was returning to the uncertain woman she had always been around Constance.

Maura took a deep breath before speaking with a neutral tone. "What do you want mother? If it is to clear my name, I'm afraid that is impossible. I am guilty."

Constance finally cracked a little, her smile faltering. "But I heard what Jane's brother said. They both know you weren't responsible for Angela's death. I heard them say it. Why would they say that if you are guilty?"

Maura huffed in frustration. Jane felt bad for her; obviously they couldn't explain anything without revealing Maura's secret, and they both agreed that telling anyone else was never an option.

Maura crossed her arms, her closed body language telling Jane she was about to try to shut Constance down. "Mother, I can't really explain. I can only ask you to try to understand that I did do this. I didn't intend for it to happen, I would give anything to take it back, but I did kill Angela. Right in front of Jane. And it is right that I can't go back to my life; it's the least I deserve after what I've done. Please don't pursue this any further. It will only cause more pain for Angela's family, the people who least deserve it. Will you let this go? For me?"

Constance was shocked into silence. She clearly hadn't been expecting Maura to confess, she had been expecting a logical explanation that she could somehow use to come in and help fix everything.

Jane decided to speak up, not able to take the awkward silence. "Look, I understand why this all happened, and though we can't explain it to you, there is a good reason for this. Well, no, not a good reason, but there is a real reason why this happened. It took a long time but I've managed to find peace with it, I've forgiven Maura for her part in this since she really couldn't do anything differently. It really would be best for everyone just to let this drop, Constance."

Constance's eyes were starting to fill with tears. "Are you really telling me that my daughter is a murderer?"

Maura's face fell, her shoulders hunching miserably. Jane put a supportive hand on her arm before responding. "Not in her heart, but in her actions, yes. She never meant to hurt anyone. I don't believe she'll ever hurt anyone again."

Constance didn't seem willing to give up yet. "But, the reports, the blood, Angela's wounds, none of it makes sense! Surely…"

Maura moved to her mother, taking one of Constance's trembling hands into her own and squeezing it reassuringly. Constance flinched slightly at the touch, reacting to the cold, hard skin of her daughter's hand.

Maura closed her eyes against the pain of that minor rejection, before opening them and speaking firmly. "I realise that the scene doesn't conclusively show what happened. I need you to forget about that. All you need to know is that I deserve to lose my job and my life. I deserve to be hunted. I won't ever feel differently about that, it's the least I deserve. I thank you for your belief in my innocence and your attempt to help me, but I'm afraid I'm not deserving of the faith you've had in me."

Constance was crying in earnest now. She drew Maura into a hug, again flinching at the feel of her hard body. She sobbed louder and hugged Maura tighter, apparently deciding she didn't care, she just needed to hug her daughter.

Jane watched the hug awkwardly, feeling awful for her part in this horrible set of circumstances. She had spoken with Maura about trying to clear her name while she was in the hospital, and Maura had resolutely refused to entertain the notion. Jane knew she saw the loss of her job, her friends and her worldly possessions as a part of the penance she was serving for her part in Angela's death, but Jane still felt awful for not trying to help. She had been unable to convince Maura so far however, and it didn't look like Constance was going to succeed either.

Suddenly there was another knock at Jane's front door, causing her to jump. Maura pulled away from Constance abruptly, her face fearful. Constance wobbled momentarily, off balance after Maura's quick manoeuvre, before her face changed to understanding and she pulled out her phone.

"Oh, I forgot to check my messages. It's alright, it will be Hope. Can you please let her in Jane?"

Maura spun back to Constance angrily. "Hope? My biological mother? You brought her into this? Since when do you two talk?"

Constance put away her phone, obviously trying to regain her composure. "We started talking at Angela's funeral. We both didn't believe that you were responsible, so we decided to work together to try to clear your name. I had the money, she had the….connections."

Jane's brow furrowed. "Connections? Like Paddy Doyle connections?"

Constance looked uncomfortable. "Well, he got us access to the files we needed, plus other resources that could help us build a case. He didn't want to see you go to prison either, Maura."

Maura looked gobsmacked. Jane wasn't much better off. They both couldn't believe Maura's dysfunctional family had all banded together to try to save her.

Jane considered regretfully that they would fail, since they couldn't save Maura from what she was.

Another knock sounded at the door, prompting Jane to throw a questioning glance at Maura. At the small nod of consent Jane moved to the door, opening it just enough to see who was there.

As expected Hope Martin stood in her doorway. "Good evening detective. May I come in?"

Jane still couldn't find it in herself to be welcoming to this woman, so she simply shrugged and moved aside to allow her entrance. She carefully shut the door after Hope, locking it to ensure they wouldn't be interrupted.

Jane walked back to stand next to Maura. Hope had paused at the door, her eyes finding Maura instantly. Jane realised she had an odd look on her face.

Hope walked slowly, her face suggesting she had seen a ghost. As she got closer, her expression shifted towards fear and horror.

Jane glanced at Maura, who looked confused by Hope's reaction, as did Constance who was glancing between them with a frown. When Hope stopped in front of Maura she reached out a hand and touched her cheek, her eyes never leaving Maura's.

When her fingertips made contact with Maura's hard skin, Hope let out a small sob and pulled her hand away like it had been burned. She slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes filling with tears.

Constance reached out a hand to Hope's arm, which was instantly batted away. "Hope, what is it?"

Hope glanced at her in despair, before looking back at Maura with deep sorrow. "I'm so sorry Maura. I'm so sorry this happened to you."

Maura's mouth fell open in surprise. "You mean…my medical condition?"

Jane's gaze shot between them. "Wait, you know?"

Hope nodded frantically, her tears spilling over. She took a deep shaky breath, glancing at Constance and taking in her bewildered expression.

Suddenly Hope's hand shot out, grabbing Constance's arm. "Constance, we're leaving. We were wrong, we can't help. It's best if we just forget about all of this and move on. Goodbye Maura."

With that declaration, Hope physically pulled Constance towards the door, yanking it open so hard it hit the wall. Constance was too shell shocked to resist, allowing herself to be removed without a backwards glance.

Maura realised she needed to act before they left. She flashed over to Hope, gently grasping her arm. "You know you can't tell anyone. It needs to stay secret. Anyone you tell will be in danger."

Hope looked furious. "You think I don't know that? That's why I'm getting her out of here. I understand why you chose to disappear, Maura. Do Jane a favour and leave for good."

Maura fell back with a gasp, releasing Hope's arm. Constance looked regretfully back at her daughter as she was pulled away from the door.

Maura nudged the door closed, turning back to Jane with a shattered look on her face. Jane crossed to her and drew her into a hug. Jane could see that all Maura wanted to do right now was cry.


	3. Chapter 3

Hi All! I hope you enjoy this latest offering!

Just a heads-up that updates for all my stories may become a bit less frequent, I'm about to start 60 hour work weeks as of next week so I won't have much time to write. I will do my best! Thanks for the support for this story and Don't Speak, any comments you've given have been much appreciated!

Thanks as always to JaneyGWF for the beta work, this chapter came with a lot of coaching so cheers! (Go check out her stories if you haven't already!)

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Jane held Maura for several minutes, rubbing her arm in what she hoped was a comforting manner as she tried to find something to say. This latest emotional blow had come out of nowhere, and Jane wasn't familiar enough with Maura's current state of mind to be able to predict how she was going to react.

Maura was currently frozen and staring into space. Jane had seen her do this a few times since becoming a vampire; soon she would finish her initial processing and react. Jane just hoped she could get her to stay still and talk about it before Maura disappeared.

Suddenly Maura moved, jerking back from Jane's embrace. Jane was surprised to see anger and determination written across her friend's face. As Jane opened her mouth to speak, Maura silently walked past her and started moving around the apartment, her head cocked to the side.

As Maura bent down and pulled something from under her coffee table Jane realised she was listening for the bugs Constance had mentioned. There was no way Jane would have been able to find them. Judging from the miniscule size of the device that she watched being ground into dust, the bugs had been top of the line.

Maura zipped out of the bedroom, coming to rest next to the table and throwing down a handful of crushed electronics with disgust. Her eyes practically glowed with fury.

Jane opened her mouth to speak, but Maura started first. "How dare she! How dare they! Bugging your house? Threatening you? I should just…."

Jane waved a hand in front of Maura as if she was flagging down a charging bull. "Whoa, slow down. I agree they were a bit, um, pushy, but…."

Maura turned an incredulous look on Jane. "Pushy? Really Jane? Pushy?"

Suddenly shifting into super speed Maura paced a few angry times before appearing in front of a stammering Jane. "Hope knew! She knew about vampires this whole time! She could have helped me! She could have come to me and told me what she knew! But no, she just uses this as another reason to hate me just for being what I am. First I was Paddy's evil spawn, now I'm just a blood drinking monster! She didn't even ask for my side of the story, she just dragged my mother out of here!"

Jane was having trouble keeping up with Maura's words, which were speeding up as she became more furious, but the sentiment was clear. "Now, okay, I've never been a big fan of Hope, but to be fair…."

Maura cut her off with a wave of her hand. "She has never been fair. She only comes to me when she wants something. A kidney, forgiveness, who knows what she was after this time! Maybe she was worried that her behaviour made a murderer out of me and needed to hear it wasn't her fault! Maybe having a wanted fugitive for a daughter just didn't look good on the Mend website!"

Jane felt like she needed to calm Maura down in a hurry. It was terrific seeing her react with some of her old fire rather than drifting back into her withdrawn state, but if she went anywhere this angry someone could get hurt.

Jane cleared her throat loudly to get Maura's attention. "Okay, calm down, please! I agree, she was way out of line! And, also, wrong, like she has always been about you."

Maura slowed her movements, looking at Jane with an appraising eye. "You're right Jane. You always tried to tell me, but I just wanted her to like me so badly."

Jane jumped as Maura picked up a pillow and tossed it across the room, the missile harmlessly hitting the wall and bouncing off. Jane couldn't help raising an amused eyebrow at the innocuous choice of object to throw in a fit of rage, thankful that Maura didn't notice her expression as she continued her rant.

Maura threw her hands in the air in frustration. "Who knows what she's going to tell my mother! I don't think she'll tell her the truth. But I don't think my mother will give up on this until she knows what we were all talking about."

Jane put her good hand on her hip, considering. "I agree, your mother isn't one to let things go lightly. I can talk to her, if you like?"

Maura stilled again, her face conflicted. "I don't know. I'm not sure what I want her to know."

Jane paused before continuing. "Okay, why the sudden change in attitude? Not that I want you to listen to her and disappear, that's not what I mean. You were ready to walk away when you got here tonight, but now you're angry at her for suggesting you leave. "

Maura glanced at Jane before plopping down on the couch, the fight leeching out of her. "I just feel so tired, even though I know that's impossible."

Jane joined her on the couch, slouching into the seat with a mental groan of relief. She was quite tired herself from her day of cleaning which, since she was only just out of hospital, had worn her out. She could feel a dull ache beginning to spread through her arm and knew she would need to take some medication soon.

Jane nudged Maura's knee with her own, hoping to get Maura to continue. Maura let out a deep, frustrated breath before speaking, her voice more subdued but still emotional.

"I keep feeling like I'm starting to get my feet back under me and something else knocks me over. Now that you're out of the hospital I had entertained the notion that we could find a way to make this work. Even if you'd agreed with me that I should leave you alone, it would be a definitive position. I would know where we stood, I could go from there."

Jane gave Maura an indignant look at the thought of her asking Maura to leave. The over exaggerated expression was enough to get a small smile out of Maura, before she sighed and hung her head. "But now we are in the dark again. We don't know how much Hope knows, or why, we just know she's terrified of me."

Maura took a deep breath before sitting up straight. "However, I've decided that I'm not just going to mope anymore. I'll deal with this, and whatever the next thing is, and the one after that. I have to stop waiting for some outside influence to show me a purpose. I can figure it out. I need to figure it out."

Jane smiled tiredly, thrilled beyond words to hear the resolve in Maura's tone. She had been extremely worried that she was about to lose Maura again, but it sounded like she had finally decided to stay.

Maura frowned as she took in Jane's expression. "Jane, you're exhausted. Come on, let's get you to bed."

Jane jerked upright, wanting to discuss things further despite her fatigue. "No, no, I'm good. I'll be fine for a bit longer."

Suddenly she found herself being manoeuvred into a standing position. Maura had a very determined look back on her face. "Don't argue with me Jane. I'm still a doctor, and I can see you need rest. Now, easy way or hard way?"

Jane peered at Maura's face, concluding she had a very low probability of winning this argument. "Okay, easy way."

Maura smirked in response and waved Jane towards her room.

Jane loped into her bedroom, a stumble near the doorway letting her know she was more exhausted than she thought. Maura appeared at her side holding a glass of water and several pills.

After watching Jane gulp the pills down Maura disappeared again. Jane carefully got ready for bed, cautiously moving her aching arm into her pyjamas with a wince. When she slumped back on her pillows she saw Maura had reappeared.

Jane closed her eyes sleepily as she felt Maura move the covers over her. She cracked one eye open to see Maura smiling down at her happily. "What?"

Maura just smiled wider. "I'm just grateful you're still human Jane. I know you're hurting right now, but I'm so glad you'll get to live the life you should. Thank you for sticking with me, despite my crazy family, and despite, well, everything else."

Jane smiled drowsily as her eye slipped closed. "Always."

Maura listened to Jane's settled breathing for several minutes before she realised she was watching her friend sleep. She remembered her promise to try not to be creepy, so Maura hurriedly left the room.

Her eyes were immediately drawn back to the destroyed surveillance devices on the table. She stood over them glaring, her earlier anger returning easily. She quickly scooped the remains up and put them into a plastic bag. She then secured the apartment before slipping out a window, first checking that the security guards her mother had hired were in fact gone. The neighbourhood was comfortingly quiet, with no signs of danger. Maura sped off into the night, confident that Jane would be safe and undisturbed.

Maura had taken all of two seconds to decide what to do with her evening after Jane went to sleep. She headed to her first stop stealthily, following a route that had become extremely familiar over the last week.

Opening a well-used window Maura slipped into a house she had entered every night this week. She knew to breathe sparingly, her enhanced senses a curse in a house that reeked of human refuse. Her keen hearing confirmed that all the occupants were either passed out or absent.

Making her way through the house, Maura could see that her plan was coming to fruition. The carefully organised rooms full of narcotics and stolen weapons had become disorganised piles, haphazardly strewn around rooms in plain sight. With a slight smile she continued on her mission.

As usual the fridge was well stocked with beer and takeaway food. Maura sniffed the contents, locating the right container easily. The honey chicken with no sesame seeds.

Working quickly, Maura completed her mission and returned the food to the fridge, leaving everything as she'd found it less than a minute after entering the house.

On the way to her next stop Maura's mind drifted back to Hope. She was still flabbergasted by the fact that her biological mother of all people somehow knew about vampires. The chances were incalculably small. The fact that Hope had possessed the information that could have potentially saved Maura months of ignorance hurt deeply, especially in the face of Hope's instantaneous rejection. The scene had been just so similar to Hope's initial rejection of Maura after learning her true identity, and it stung just as much the second time.

As she ran Maura heard the sound of heavy glass breaking, the crash pulling her thoughts back to the present. She altered her path, climbing up onto a roof near the sound to get a better vantage point. She quickly found the source of the noise; a store window had been smashed by some vandals, who were now ransacking the store and trying to get the cash register open. Maura decided not to directly intervene, opting to call the police in to deal with the thieves. This had been her standard practice unless a particular criminal looked dangerous; if she thought the police might get hurt apprehending the suspects she would incapacitate them first.

She waited several minutes before she heard the sirens coming. A minute later the thieves heard them as well, starting to panic and bicker amongst themselves. This group didn't seem well organised, and were still deciding which way to run when two cruisers pulled up outside the store. The uniformed officers sprang into action efficiently, yelling for the group to freeze. Three of them obeyed, but one at the back of the group started fumbling at the back of his belt.

Maura reached for the small pack of ball bearings she kept on her belt for situations like this. The balls were small enough to be lost in the debris around a crime scene but large enough to distract or injure a target when thrown with enough force.

A quick flick of her hand saw the projectile streaking towards her target. The ball hit the arm of the gunman, a shriek of pain accompanying the clatter of the gun as it hit the ground. The officers saw the weapon and redoubled their yelling, the other criminals looking shocked to see the weapon and stepping away from their companion. He stopped yelping long enough to realise he'd lost any chance of shooting his way out of the situation and raised his hands, his right hand sporting a bright red welt.

Maura smiled to herself as she continued on her route. This sort of thing had become her new routine, and she had gotten quite good at it. She had devised a patrol route through Boston that covered all the major crime areas which she followed several times a day. The route also included a stop at BPD, Tommy's house, Frankie's house, the hospital while Jane was still there as well as any other locations the Rizzoli family happened to be at various times throughout the day.

The only way Maura had found to be able to come to terms with her part in Angela's death was to try to ensure her family was taken care of. Maura knew her family was the most important thing to Angela, so this was the most valuable thing in the world for Maura to protect. Her existence would revolve around protecting the Rizzoli family, and any descendants they might have, as that was the only way she could maintain her sanity and prevent herself from falling back into the emotionless state that Jane had pulled her out of.

Maura could still clearly picture the horrified expression on Jane's face when she had encountered Maura in that state. At the time she hadn't been bothered by the reaction; she had honestly felt no emotion by that point. Now however, she could remember the look and understand the revulsion Jane must have felt. She knew that if the situation had been reversed and Jane had been the one to disappear under an emotionless mask she would have felt devastated and done all in her power to bring her back, just as Jane had done for her. The messages Jane had left in the week leading up to the encounter at the warehouse had been slowly chipping away at Maura's heavily barricaded defences, but the sight of Jane crumpled in pain and possibly dying had blasted through them completely. The thought of losing Jane after everything they had been through was too much to process without access to her emotions, and they had flowed through her small frame unrestrained, allowing her to push her relief and love at Jane with no thought for her own well-being. Although she hadn't realised it beforehand, those emotions fuelling her power had been exactly what was required to dampen Jane's pain and allow her to end the Volturi threat finally and decisively.

After the confrontation with the Volturi, Maura had been filled with emotion once more, her guilt and regret initially overpowered by her relief at Jane's survival and Frankie's reluctant tolerance. She had welcomed the return of her feelings like breathing after being held underwater, happily allowing her mind to once again traverse the carefully constructed memory pathways of her human life. Her recollections of Angela and the other Rizzoli family members had sent a spear of pain through her, but she gladly accepted it as the price of being herself again. Maura knew she needed to work through the guilt resulting from her actions instead of shutting down, as she couldn't bear to feel nothing for Jane and her family again. Despite the pain, she knew she couldn't continue her existence in an emotionless state; it defeated the purpose of existing if she didn't experience life.

The fact that Jane had come so far towards forgiving her helped immensely. Maura went over the sequence of events that had led to Angela's death innumerable times and had been unable to find anything she could have done differently. With the knowledge she had gleaned from Carlisle, she understood that a newborn vampire such as herself had very little control over their feeding impulse, which made the fact that she hadn't killed Jane months before even more miraculous. The way that the Volturi had tortured her until she had no awareness and then shoved a bleeding human practically in her mouth had completely bypassed her conscious mind, making the following events inevitable.

Intellectually knowing the facts and the reasons didn't stop Maura's heart from feeling every drop of guilt she thought she deserved. She would always blame herself, and always was a very long prospect when one becomes a vampire.

Maura snapped her attention back to the situation at hand once again as she realised she had reached her destination. She focussed her senses first towards the house, checking that all was well inside. She then expanded her attention to the surrounding neighbourhood, ensuring there were no threats or suspicious people. After ten minutes of observation Maura was satisfied that all was well and she turned to leave, mentally wishing Frankie a good night's sleep.

As Maura ran to her next stop, she returned to her musing. She had been repeating this patrol for so long that a human would have lost count. She was very clear on her reasons for her vigilance, but she also recognised the obvious flaw in her routine.

When Jane had been bitten in the warehouse, she had told Maura to allow the venom to do its work and turn her into a vampire. Maura believed her reasons, that Jane hadn't wanted her to be alone. But since Maura had insisted that Jane let her prevent the transformation, she had also ensured that Jane would die one day. Maura fervently hoped that the day was far in the future and would be due to old age, but it was unavoidable as long as Jane remained human.

This inescapable fact meant that one day, relatively soon compared with a vampire's lifespan, Maura would find herself alone without anyone in the world who understood what she was. She had never been good at making friends when she was human, so she knew that her chances of finding someone else that understood her as well as Jane did now that she was no longer human were statistically nil.

This presented Maura with the dilemma of trying to decide how to cope with being alone forever while still being around the family of the person who meant the most to her. It hadn't been an easy concept to consider, and Maura still hadn't come up with any answers.

The first step she had taken was to set herself a deadline. Once Jane was out of hospital, she would wait one week before trying to convince Jane to expel all vampires from her life, including Maura, and try to live out her days without supernatural complications. This would serve the dual purpose of protecting Jane from the pressures of keeping her secret so blatantly and allowing Maura the space she would eventually need, to be able to let her reliance on her interactions with Jane and her family go.

Predictably Jane had completely disrupted her schedule, figuring out what Maura was up to before she had been able to construct a foolproof argument to get her to agree. Instead of convincing Jane to let her go, Jane had convinced Maura to stay. Considering her quick capitulation Maura knew she hadn't really wanted Jane to agree with her, and despite feeling slightly selfish for allowing her friend to remain in her dangerous world she couldn't make herself let go if she was still wanted. After everything they had been through it would hurt everyone too much.

Maura had decided to stop fighting Jane on this and remain in her life. The day would come, much sooner than either of them wanted, when Jane would be gone. Maura could either pull away now, or try to support and love her friend for as long as she was alive, and Maura much preferred the second option. The eventual fallout when Maura lost her was inevitable, but she would deal with it only when she was forced to. Hopefully Maura could use the time until then to figure out who she wanted to be once she was alone in the world.

Maura found herself at Tommy's house and diverted her attention to her security checks. TJ was sleeping soundly, Tommy was shuffling about in the kitchen and Lydia was sleeping fitfully. The neighbourhood was calm as usual, with nothing suspicious that required her attention.

She had reached the end of her loop, both mental and physical. With no further information to work with, this would continue to be her life; patrolling Boston for unknown threats, hoping no other hostile vampires came into their lives with ill intent, watching the world continue to go on without her. The only possible source of information she knew of was a woman that had blatantly rejected her at every turn, one that she didn't feel particularly inclined to speak to.

Supressing a sigh, Maura considered her options. She could restart her routine, checking over her usual ring of seedy crime hotspots, or she could go outside her usual habits and confront the latest disruption to her existence.

Constance and Hope had completely surprised her with their efforts to help and clear her name. She could understand her adoptive mother going to her contacts and trying to find out what had happened, but Hope's interference had come out of nowhere. Maura remembered seeing them sitting together at Angela's funeral, but she had thought they were simply comforting each other in the face of their daughter's apparent homicidal turn, not teaming up to find the truth.

It was obvious that Constance had been completely in the dark about Maura's true nature, but it was unclear whether Hope had suspected that Maura had become a vampire before seeing her face to face. The more she thought about Hope's reaction, the more Maura became convinced that she hadn't known. Why else would she go along with Constance's efforts to prove her innocence?

Maura found herself moving again, this time to a location not on her usual route. She had too many questions to be able to form a rational course of action, and there was only one woman who could answer them.

She was going to see Hope tonight. She would find out what she knew, how she knew about vampires. If there were any actions to be taken as a result, she would discuss them with Jane and allow her to have a say.

But Maura was done allowing her birth mother to dictate anything in her life, whether it be her feelings or her actions. It was time for her to take control.


	4. Chapter 4

Hi all! I know I said updates would be slowing down, and it's still true, I just managed to get this one out before life gets crazy!

Thanks once again to JaneyGWF for her beta services, she has a new one-shot up to go check out!

Please let me know what you think of this chapter, I'm definitely curious to get reactions to this one!

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Too quickly Maura found herself looking at Hope's house. She could hear sounds from two people inside; one deeply asleep and one awake and agitated. Since Maura doubted her half-sister would have been allowed to take any part in the night's events, she deduced that Hope was the conscious human she could hear.

Maura contemplated her next course of action. A big part of her wanted to burst into Hope's bedroom unannounced, scaring her and putting her in a defensive frame of mind straight away. Maura's anger was still simmering and an act of property destruction would feel very cathartic right now.

However, the more logical mature side of Maura won out. She checked the surrounding area quickly for any observers, finding nothing amiss. Taking a deep breath, Maura flitted to Hope's front door and knocked firmly, attempting to keep the sound quiet enough to not wake Cailin.

She appeared to have been successful. Maura heard a stifled gasp from Hope's room, but Cailin slept on undisturbed. There was no further sound from Hope for several seconds, but then Maura heard her feet hit the floor and walk towards the door.

Hope paused next to the door, clearly unsure whether to open it at this late hour. Maura decided to speak up, to at least attempt to start this conversation openly.

"Hope, it's Maura. I'm not going to hurt you, or Cailin, I just want to talk."

Maura heard another gasp, then footfalls as Hope stepped back from the door. "Hope, please, I just need some answers. Cailin won't even know I was here."

Finally Maura heard the lock being spun and the door cracked open. Hope's face was fearful and anxious, which sent a pang of guilt and sorrow through Maura.

Hope's voice was quiet and determined. "Come in, I can't stop you."

Maura repressed the urge to sigh and walked quietly into the house, waiting for Hope to close the door before making her way to a study on the opposite side of the house to Cailin's bedroom.

Once they were inside the room and the door was closed, Hope spun towards Maura angrily. "I don't know what you want, but I need you to leave as soon as we're done. I won't have you around my daughter. She doesn't know anything about this."

Maura closed her eyes for a moment in an attempt to stay civil. "I'm your daughter too."

Hope stepped closer and raised an angry fist, her voice quiet but furious. "You're not my daughter! You're not Maura anymore! You're a monster!"

It was all Maura could do to reign in her temper. "No. You don't get to judge me. It's taken me a long time to accept, but I am still Maura, despite something happening to me that wasn't my choice. I may be different, but I'm not a monster."

Hope scoffed. "Is that so? Would Angela Rizzoli agree with that assessment?"

Maura's eyes closed again, this time fighting a surge of guilt and shame. When she opened her eyes, she saw Hope's face had fallen into surprise. She stepped back from Maura, her hand dropping to her side.

"Wait, you feel guilty for what you did. That's…."

Maura spoke softly. "Yes, of course I feel guilty. I didn't want to kill anyone. I still don't want to kill anyone. Please, tell me what you know. Help me."

Hope looked shocked to hear her remorse. Tears were building in her eyes as she backed into a chair, falling into it clumsily. "Maura?"

Maura just nodded, a sad smile ghosting across her features. This whole argument had brought back memories of Jane struggling with the same distinction that Hope was trying to make, but Maura knew who she was. She wouldn't allow Hope's uncertainty to affect her the way that Jane's doubt and fear had.

Tears started to stream down Hope's cheeks. "Oh, Maura, I'm so sorry! I thought….well I thought you were gone. I thought I'd lost you again. And the things I said to you…."

Maura moved over to the chair and kneeled down in front of Hope, gently grasping her hand. Hope flinched at the touch of Maura's cold skin, but shakily returned her hand to hold Maura's tentatively.

Maura smiled again, this time with more warmth. "It's okay. I understand this is a lot to take in, and you were probably worried about Cailin's safety. If I'd realised you knew about vampires…"

Hope's eyes widened. "Vampires? That's what you are?"

Maura's brow furrowed in confusion. "But, you said you knew?"

Hope nodded in assurance, dropping Maura's hand as she rose to start pacing. "I knew you were the same species of creature that I've encountered before, but I never knew a name for what she was. I only ever met one other being like you, and…."

Hope took a deep breath. "I should start again. Can I get you something to drink, or…."

Maura couldn't help smiling at the horrified expression that flitted across Hope's face. "No, I don't eat or drink any more. Please get something for yourself if you like."

Hope nodded before ducking out of the room. Maura let her go, realising she needed a moment to gather her thoughts. She heard Hope making tea in the kitchen, her nerves evident in the rattling of the cup and kettle. After a few moments Hope returned to the study, her expression determined.

Hope gestured to the other chair in the room. "Please sit down. I'll tell you everything I know."

Maura almost declined, since she didn't experience fatigue and had no need to sit, but thought better of it and moved into the chair.

Hope took a sip of her tea before starting her narrative. "It was about ten years ago. I was in Australia, working to set up a new MEND clinic in Sydney. I had left Cailin with her father, so I was by myself. I had been there for around a month, and was planning to head to the next site in Europe within two weeks. The clinic was almost on its feet, the staff was settled and we were starting to see patients regularly.

"We had been treating women and children for the typical kinds of illnesses one generally sees in a large city. Then one night a woman was brought in who seemed to have been through some kind of traumatic ordeal. She was terrified, and wouldn't let anyone touch her. She kept screaming about monsters, her friends turning against her, needing to escape, all kinds of paranoid fears. I ended up having to give her a tranquilliser to calm her down. When she woke up the next day she was still just as agitated, still trying to get away and run from whatever she'd seen. Her eyes were completely unsettling; I could tell that whatever she had been through was very real.

"The clinic wasn't set up for this kind of treatment, so I had her transferred to the hospital system and tried to forget about her.

"About three days later another woman was brought to us in a similar condition. Again we tried to calm her down, but she was beyond reaching. We didn't waste time trying to tranquillise her, we called an ambulance straight away, which was fortunate as she soon went into cardiac arrest. She had been so mortally terrified that her body just couldn't cope."

Hope took a deep breath to calm herself, her hands shaking in response to the memories she was recounting. "Two days after the second victim had died I was walking to my hotel late at night after a long day at the clinic. I heard something moving behind me, but by the time I started to turn I was grabbed and pulled into a nearby alley.

"I'm not exactly sure about what happened next. I have the impression of great speed, but I wasn't put into a vehicle. I just remember that I was dropped onto the ground in an unfamiliar location. I tried to look around, but it was very dark and I didn't see much.

"I soon realised that I wasn't alone. There was a figure moving around behind me. I got to my feet as quickly as I could, but by the time I looked the figure was gone again.

"I was about to start looking for a way out when I heard a woman's voice. It sounded cruel and cutting. 'Tell me doctor, what do you fear?'

"I don't remember exactly what I said in response, but it wasn't an answer to the question. As soon as I finished speaking the figure was suddenly in front of me. I didn't get a good look at her, but I could feel the menacing threat from her.

"She spoke again, her voice sounding even more sadistic. 'I asked you a question doctor. What do you fear?'

"I didn't know what to do, and I panicked. I reached out a hand to push her away, my fingers finding her face. It felt like stone, cold and unyielding. My hand was still on her cheek when I felt her smile."

Maura straightened up in her chair. "That's why you needed to touch my face. You didn't see her properly, but you knew what her skin felt like."

Hope nodded, tears starting to form in her eyes again. "When I first heard about Angela and your mother mentioned your medical condition I briefly considered the possibility, but until I saw you and touched you I wouldn't let myself believe it."

Maura closed her eyes in frustration. "That's why you never mentioned any of this before. You weren't sure."

Hope nodded sadly. "I don't know if anything would have been different if I'd told you the story when this first happened to you, but I'm sorry I didn't. I promise, I didn't know."

Opening her eyes, Maura nodded. "Please finish your story."

Hope took another calming breath and a sip of her tea. "My hand was still on her face when I felt a new presence behind me. I pushed away from her and turned around. For some reason I could see this figure clearly."

Hope's breathing sped up and her shoulders hunched with tension. "The figure I saw was the one I imagined whenever I thought of what you would look like if you had lived. She was standing right in front of me."

Maura jerked in surprise. She had assumed that Hope had never thought of her again once Paddy had told her that her baby had died.

Hope continued shakily. "I was completely shocked. I couldn't help but walk towards her, holding my arms out hopefully. 'Maura, is that you?'

"She smiled at me, but the smile was wrong. It was angry, and cruel, and evil. 'Yeah mom, nice to see you. Dad says hi.' She then lifted her hand and I saw that she was holding an ice pick.

"I remember screaming, first in fear and then in pain as she stabbed me. I fell to the ground, still screaming. I thought I was going to die."

Maura's hand had sprung to her mouth in horror. She got out of her chair, moving to take Hope's hand. Hope jumped at the touch, leaping out of the chair and scurrying away from Maura.

Hope was almost hyperventilating. "I'm sorry! I know that wasn't really you, but it was just so real!"

Maura nodded sadly, her arms raised in surrender. Hope took several shuddering breaths before continuing. "I was found the next morning and brought to a hospital. I was kept there for the next two weeks while I tried to process what had happened. The whole thing was completely inexplicable. I had no idea who the woman had been, I had no idea if the version of you I had seen was real. I had no physical injuries, so that helped me convince myself that it wasn't real."

Hope finally got her breathing under control. "But the feelings I had experienced were very real. If anything they were far more heightened than I would have expected. It felt like someone had reached into my subconscious and pulled out my worst fears, then amped up my emotional response to the highest level possible. The questions the unknown woman had asked contributed to that conclusion, but I have no proof that I am correct. I can't explain how any of this was possible.

"When I was in the hospital, I decided I needed to try to talk about what had happened. I asked to see the psychologist the day I got there. When he arrived, I started to tell the story. When I was about to describe the sensation of speed, I experienced what I can only describe as a vision.

"I saw the face of the evil Maura I had imagined. She was standing over me holding the bloodied ice pick and smiling. 'Tell anyone about this, and your daughter will pay.'

"When the vision faded away the psychologist was looking at me in confusion. I stammered out some kind of apology and sent him away. I still didn't understand what had happened, but I wholly believed that Cailin would be in danger if I said anything. So I remained silent, I tried to cope by myself, and I tried to forget it had happened."

Hope sat back down, her motions shaky and unstable. "When I finally got out of the hospital I couldn't get out of the country fast enough. I booked the first flight I could get and went straight back to the hotel to pack. I never went back to Australia again."

Maura had so many questions at this point she barely knew where to start. "So when you first found out who I was…"

Hope nodded. "I couldn't help flash back to that vision. I had seen the image of you every time I considered telling someone about my experience, and every time she had threatened Cailin. The vision gradually got worse over the years, showing me exactly what she would do to Cailin. I just couldn't deal with the image of the evil Maura I had lived with for a decade next to the reality of you actually existing. Especially not with Cailin being in the same room. I could only think of you standing over her with an ice pick, and I had to get her out of there."

Maura turned away for a moment, both hands clenched in anger. Her relationship with her biological mother had been tarnished before they had ever had a chance to meet; no wonder they had never been able to connect properly.

Hope continued in a subdued tone. "After I met you properly, the visions changed to include your image. I resolutely tried to stop thinking about that experience to try to stop them, but it was impossible. Every time I saw you again I would inevitably flash back to that moment. I would want to tell you, to explain my actions, which would trigger a vision. It was a terrible cycle. Each time I would try to approach you to improve our relationship, I would make it worse. Eventually I just pulled away to try to stop hurting both of us."

Maura turned back to Hope to find tears streaming down her face. Her shoulders were shaking with barely contained sobs. Maura flashed over to her, pulling her into a gentle hug.

Hope crumbled into the embrace, her sobs breaking loose finally. They sat like that for countless minutes, Hope finally letting go years of torment.

As she started to calm down Maura pulled away from the hug, zipping to the kitchen to get a glass of water for Hope. As she handed the glass over she noticed Hope's eyes had gone wide in surprise.

"Hope? What's wrong?"

After taking a gulp of water Hope responded, her voice hoarse from the sleepless night and the raw emotion. "Did you just….run to the kitchen and get a glass of water and return in less than five seconds?"

Maura frowned for a moment, then realised her mistake. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise you didn't know about vampire speed. I assumed since you had described it in your story…..sorry."

Hope took another gulp before setting the glass down resolutely. "Tell me everything that's happened to you. I might not be able to help, but I can at least listen."

Maura spent the next hour describing all the events surrounding her transformation into a vampire and everything that had happened since. Hope noticed how she didn't fidget, or breathe unless she was talking, or cry when she described events that would break most people. Maura noticed Hope tensing when the Volturi were mentioned, but it looked to be out of fear rather than recognition.

At the mention of vampire powers Hope tensed again. "So, you don't have the ability to make unconscious fears appear, like what was done to me?"

Maura shook her head reassuringly. "No, I can only hurt people with my power if I'm angry. Each vampire seems to have a different power, if they have one at all. I'm still unsure what determines special abilities in vampires, but from my observations so far they seem to generally match the personality of the vampire. The one you met sounds very sadistic, similar to the Volturi I met."

Hope considered for a moment. "So could you use your power to help me? To get rid of the visions?"

Maura's face fell. "I don't think that's a good idea. My emotions are so mixed up right now, I don't know what would happen to you. I don't know if I could help anyway, my power sounds very different to the one that was used on you."

Hope nodded glumly and motioned for Maura to continue.

When Maura finished her story she was surprised when Hope reached out to her, drawing her into another hug. She allowed herself to take comfort in the action, wondering what it would have been like to be hugged and comforted like this throughout her life.

As Hope pulled away, Maura glanced out a nearby window and realised it was almost dawn. "Hope, I need to go. I don't want to be caught here during the day, and it would be better if Cailin didn't know about any of this."

Hope nodded in agreement. "Thank you. I just want to keep her safe."

Maura sighed and moved to leave, but turned back when she realised there was one more thing she needed to know. "Hope, what did you tell my mother?"

Hope's face paled. "I…I told her you were gone. I said I'd seen this medical condition before, that it changed the people who had it. I told her you were beyond saving. Oh, Maura I'm sorry! I'll go and see her today, I'll tell her I made a terrible mistake!"

Maura considered carefully before answering. "No. Let her think I'm gone. I don't want her to keep looking for me, or trying to clear my name. It might draw attention from the wrong people, and I want her to be safe. If she thinks I'm beyond help then at least she'll have closure."

Hope leaped out of her seat and grabbed Maura's arms. "Absolutely not! I won't tell her the truth, but I'll make sure she understands that none of this was your fault. Please Maura, let me fix this. You don't deserve to lose your mother because of this. Please come back and see me tonight, I'll get Cailin to go stay with a friend, and I'll bring your mother here to talk. You can decide if you want to tell her, or if you just want to say goodbye, but please don't let her think the worst of you!"

Maura hung her head. She didn't want to put her mother or Hope in any danger, but she was also sick of dealing with this alone, relying solely on Jane for support. She had wanted nothing more than to have a mother to comfort her since she had first become a vampire, and she was tired of denying herself what she needed to protect others.

"Okay. I'll come. I'll work out what to say today and I'll come and talk to her. Thank you."

Emotions still whirling, Maura stepped away from Hope. She gave her biological mother a brief smile, her new understanding simultaneously buoying her spirits and making her curse the wasted years once again. This would all take time to process, and she needed to do it away from the source of her confusion.

She turned and sped away.


	5. Chapter 5

Hi all!

Can you tell I was excited to get a day off! Each story gets a new chapter!

Thanks as always to JaneyGWF for the beta services, even though she's supposed to be off camping or some other nonsense.

It's back to the grindstone for me tomorrow, so I apologise in advance for the expected long wait until the next chapter. Thanks for bearing with me through this busy time! If you have any comments about the story, now would be an ideal time to share them!

* * *

Jane woke slowly. She always felt sluggish after taking pain meds to help her sleep, and this morning was no exception. She cracked one eye open reluctantly and discovered it was after ten already. With a reluctant groan she carefully shifted, gauging the pain in her arm.

Finding the pain level acceptable, Jane gently manoeuvred herself out of bed and ambled into her bathroom. As she went through her morning routine, a procedure made much more awkward by her disabled dominant hand, the smell of coffee started to waft through the house. Jane smiled and hurried to finish brushing her teeth.

After dressing in a rush, Jane made her way to the kitchen. She smiled when she found Maura standing there, a cup of hot coffee in her hands and a smile on her face.

Jane gratefully took the hot beverage with a grin and took a sip, before grimacing. "Okay, did you just give me decaf?"

A brief flash of guilt crossed Maura's face before she rearranged it into her 'responsible lecture' expression. "Now Jane, you should try to cut down on stimulants while you're still on the pain medication. You'll heal faster if you engage in more healthy eating habits."

Jane couldn't help the eye roll. "Really?"

Maura just grinned and changed the subject. "How did you sleep?"

Jane took another reluctant sip of her not-coffee and sat down on a kitchen stool. "I slept fine: All the way through the night and most of the morning. How was your night?"

The conflicted look on Maura's face spoke volumes. Jane sighed and braced herself. "Okay, what happened?"

Maura recounted everything Hope had told her, and explained the plan to meet up with Constance that night. "I'm not sure what to tell her! I still don't want to put her in danger, but she almost knows as it is, and if I don't tell her the truth she might put herself in danger by asking the wrong questions!"

Jane was fairly conflicted herself at this point. Hearing that Hope had a fairly legitimate reason for acting the way she had towards Maura since they had met was extremely unexpected. Jane had never been able to forgive the woman for upsetting Maura, but now she found herself feeling sorry for her. Looking back at all their encounters, Jane had to concede that Hope had obviously been trying her best to avoid hurting Maura, but the mind games that the unknown vampire had pulled prevented her from succeeding.

Jane also didn't quite know what to say about Constance. She agreed with Maura's assessment that she'd be in danger whether she knew Maura's real secret or not, but it was impossible to say which choice would leave her in more danger. Constance had proven over the years that she could keep a secret when it was necessary, as evidenced by Maura's true bloodline being kept secret for more than thirty years. When she didn't know something however, she had proven with this whole debacle that there were very few lines she wouldn't cross to find answers.

Jane glanced down at her hands, realising she had been lost in thought. She frowned to discover that she'd finished her not-coffee, which had been replaced by a glass of orange juice and a nutritious breakfast.

Glancing up at Maura, she found her friend still anxiously waiting for her opinion. "Sorry Maur, I was thinking. Also remind me to put a bell around your neck when you're here."

Maura couldn't help a tiny grin as Jane started eating. "Well someone has to feed you, and I've found it easier to just put food in front of you than to ask permission. Now what do you think I should do?"

Jane chewed as she considered, then thoughtfully answered. "I think you should tell your mother the truth. Neither of us is a good enough liar to fool her, and I think if there's any doubt in her mind she'll keep digging. I agree that her flailing around for information is probably more dangerous than her knowing at this point."

Maura looked relieved, which Jane knew meant she had been hoping for that answer. "That's what I thought too. She's already gone so far as to bug your apartment and hire security guards to stop me escaping; there's no telling how far she'd go."

Jane frowned. "So I guess the vampire club is getting a new member tonight. Do you want me to be there?"

Maura nodded so fast the motion blurred. "Of course! I'd really appreciate you being there. You've always been able to talk to my mother assertively, and if she doesn't react well we might need that."

Jane couldn't help grin at the reminder of her last 'assertive' encounter with Constance. "So, we're just going to Hope's house after dark?"

Maura nodded. "And then we tell her. And both my mothers will know everything I've done, and exactly what I am."

Jane smiled reassuringly. "Okay, it's a plan. Now what are we doing today?"

Maura looked confused. "Today? Nothing. You're supposed to be resting, and I need to get back to my routine since we'll be busy tonight."

Jane's ears pricked up. "Routine? You have a routine?"

Maura's eyes flitted between Jane and her hands, clearly trying to decide how to dodge the question. "I do have a series of activities that I perform to keep myself occupied, yes."

Jane rolled her eyes again. "So, you have a routine. What does this 'routine' involve?"

Maura backed away a few steps, her eyes flitting to the window.

Jane jumped up. "Oh, no you don't! Out with it Maura! Would this routine have anything to do with the crime rate in Boston suddenly dropping to near zero right after the mob collapsed?"

The guilt on Maura's face told Jane everything she needed to know. "Maura, I'm not going to be upset with you for helping protect people! It's a good thing, it's why we both got into the careers we did!"

Maura looked relieved to hear Jane's response. "So you're not mad at me for becoming a vigilante?"

Jane smiled and shook her head. "Of course not. The only reason I was worried about you doing this before was because we didn't want to draw any unwanted vampire attention."

Maura smiled happily. "Alright, good! Well, I'll go do that, and I'll meet you at Hope's house tonight."

Jane held up a hand. "Wait, how long does your routine take? Do you want to meet up somewhere to catch up a bit before we go to Hope's? I feel like I haven't seen you properly in months. We need to spend some time just hanging out and relaxing."

Maura squirmed a bit. "Well, my routine doesn't really allow for breaks. As you know, crime never sleeps, so if I'm not out there, someone might get hurt."

Jane finally understood why Maura had been reluctant to tell her about her 'routine'. "So, when do you take time for yourself?"

Maura's silence again spoke volumes.

Jane huffed in frustration. "Maura! You're a vampire, not a robot! You need to have a life outside of protecting people! It's not your responsibility to stop every criminal in the city, you can't be everywhere and you can't save everyone!"

Maura was looking at the floor. "I need to try, Jane. It's the only way I can cope. If I do everything in my power to make sure…."

Jane stepped into Maura's space and grabbed her arm. "Maura, please tell me you're not killing yourself trying to protect the whole world because you still feel guilty."

Maura refused to meet Jane's eyes. "I'm not killing myself Jane, that's impossible. I'm just using my time as efficiently as possible. I need to do this."

Jane ducked her head to force their eyes to meet. "No, you don't. You have nothing to feel guilty for. Nothing that has happened is your fault. The only thing you have ever tried to do was protect everyone around you. It's not your fault that circumstances beyond your control took someone we both love away."

Maura flinched at the mention of Jane's mother. Her voice was almost inaudible. "It still feels like my fault. I can't think of anything I could have done differently, but it still doesn't make me feel any better."

Jane sighed; she had known Maura wasn't past this, and she wasn't sure she would ever get past this. "Maura, the fact that you've had such a hard time over this tells me how much you didn't want it to happen. You'll use the memory to ensure nothing like this ever happens again. You need to try to forgive yourself and start moving on from this!"

Maura pulled away from Jane's grip, her tone insistent. "No Jane, I won't ever forgive myself. I may not have wanted it to happen, but I can still remember how much I enjoyed it at the time. I remember how it felt to end another person's life, and I remember how powerful and exultant it made me, even if it was only for a moment. When I realised what was happening, when I saw your mother lying in your arms, I felt….but it was too late. The damage was done, and I had enjoyed inflicting that damage. On her, on you, on anyone else who had loved Angela. I may not want to kill anyone again, but I'm scared that one day it will happen, and maybe I'll like it just as much. Maybe I won't feel quite as bad. Maybe I'll decide that it's okay to kill."

Suddenly Maura's expression turned stormy. "Actually, I've already killed again. I ripped the head off that Volturi that was about to kill you, and I didn't even think twice about it. I don't know what his name was, if he had a family, how old he was, nothing about him. I just saw he was about to hurt you and chose you over him. And I know I'd do it again. The fact that it was self-defence doesn't change the fact that I killed him. The fact that nobody has come looking for his killer doesn't mean it wasn't wrong to end his life."

Jane was surprised to hear the Volturi mentioned. She hadn't given her part in killing the Volturi a second thought, because protecting innocent people from murderers was what she was trained for. She had killed before in the line of duty, and would most likely do it again. But for Maura, who had never killed a person before becoming a vampire, the justification for killing was very different. It was more personal, and considering Maura's part in Angela's death, it was obviously affecting Maura more than Jane had realised.

Maura gathered herself, her face becoming impassive. "So no, I can't forgive myself and move on. I need to make sure I remember how it feels to see the face of someone who has just watched you murder their mother. How it feels to hear them deliver a eulogy. How it feels to watch a family try to rebuild itself after losing the woman at its heart."

Maura stepped towards the window. "And I also need to try to ensure that no other families lose their loved ones to some needless tragedy. There are people out there who don't care what damage they cause, and nobody can stop them except me. How can I ignore that? How can I allow myself time to relax and unwind when every moment someone innocent could be hurt? I don't want to be the sort of person that can choose not to act when I have the power to help. So I won't be."

With that Maura turned and disappeared. Jane was left speechless, standing alone in her kitchen.

She tried to understand how the conversation had somehow gone from 'what are we doing today' to Maura almost having a guilt-ridden meltdown. Jane was forced to admit that she really didn't know what was going on in Maura's head; they just hadn't had enough time to talk properly in months. Considering how fast Maura's thoughts were, she could have convinced herself of just about anything while she was dealing with her feelings alone.

One thing had stood out to Jane throughout Maura's impassioned rant. At no point had she mentioned anything about what she wanted to do, what she hoped for, how she lived for herself. Everything about Maura's life now seemed to be focussed on helping other people.

It was as if Maura had stopped thinking of herself as a person. She seemed to believe that her part in Angela's death combined with her transformation into a vampire had removed her right to have her own happiness and purpose.

Jane had seen this sort of behaviour from Maura before. When she had first found out who her father was, Maura had started believing she was destined to be a criminal, simply because of how she had come into existence. When she had been set up and arrested, Maura had again slipped towards believing it was true, because she had been expecting some hidden dark part of herself to show itself eventually.

Jane could understand how everything that had happened in the last few months must be playing on those long held fears and making Maura believe she was becoming a monster.

Jane didn't believe it for a moment. She could clearly see how much pain Maura was in, even though her friend was desperately trying to hide it and pretend everything was fine. It had been there every time Jane had seen her in the hospital, it was there last night, it had blatantly come out and shown itself during the discussion with Constance and Hope, and it was practically waving a flag in front of Jane this morning. Clearly it was time for Jane to try something new; simply talking about this wasn't going to be enough to change Maura's mind.

She couldn't allow this self-recrimination to continue. Maura was one of the most gentle and kind people Jane had ever met, and she didn't deserve to feel like a non-entity. She didn't deserve to feel as though her needs were unworthy of being met. She deserved to feel like a part of the world again, not just an observer relegated to watch life go by but not participate. Jane sat down and started thinking of ways that she could start showing Maura how much she was needed and wanted.

Telling Constance about what had happened might help. Maura hadn't been able to confide in anyone since this had all started, and that had been the first blow, eroding her sense of self. The fact that she was almost completely alone and had lost almost all of her human characteristics had made her feel apart from everyone, and the fact that nobody had noticed enough to call her out on it probably hadn't helped. The fact that Maura had been trying to keep her transformation a secret probably didn't remove the pain of nobody noticing how much she'd changed. Finally being able to tell her mother, and hopefully receive some acceptance and comfort, might start rebuilding some of Maura's sense of belonging.

In the meantime, Jane needed to find a way to make Maura enjoy life again. Maura had never really had a chance to enjoy all of her new abilities, since they were preoccupied with hiding them. If they could find a way to use those abilities for fun, not just for protecting people, Maura might start to feel better about her life.

Maura had also lost her access to her job, and all the ways she had previously made a difference. She used to utilise her intellect and science to help people, not her physical strength. She also took great joy from learning new facts and imparting them to other people, whether they wanted to know the information or not.

Jane smiled as she came up with a few ideas. She quickly moved back to her room to change, then grabbed her phone and called Frankie. She couldn't drive yet, but Frankie had offered to be her driver until she was cleared again. She had places she needed to go, things she needed to get, and a vampire to find.


	6. Chapter 6

Hi all!

Thanks for your patience over the last few...weeks? Months? However long it's been since updates have been a bit thin on the ground. I honestly can't remember. Wait, what day is it?

Anyway, I'm finally heading home soon, and I'm hoping that will give me a bit more time to spend on my stories, so hopefully sometime soon my chapters will start coming a bit more regularly.

In the meantime, here is a nice chunky chapter!

Thanks as always to JaneyGWF for the beta service!

* * *

Two hours later, Jane was sitting on the roof of BPD, swinging her legs over the edge of the building. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the fresh air was doing wonders for her after all the time she had spent cooped up in a hospital room recently.

She had been sitting in the same spot for around fifteen minutes. Frankie had graciously driven her to all her requested locations, including the one place he'd been avoiding for months. He hadn't asked any questions, realising who Jane was gathering things for and not wanting to know any details. He had simply dropped Jane off at the back entrance to the building and exacted a promise from his sister to call him when she got home later that day, to reassure him that she hadn't disappeared or gotten hurt again.

Jane smiled as she remembered his brotherly concern. They had been depending on each other a lot more since their mother died, and she was grateful for his presence in her life. Tommy and their father had tried to stay in contact as well, but Jane just wasn't as close to them as she was to Frankie.

As Jane leaned over the edge to look at her dangling feet, she heard a tell-tale whoosh behind her and felt a firm grip around her good shoulder.

Maura's voice was slightly panicked. "What are you doing?"

Jane puffed out a heavy breath, her heart racing at Maura's sudden appearance. "Geez! Again, we need to put a bell on you!"

Maura didn't release the iron grip she had on Jane's arm until her feet were firmly planted on the roof several paces from the edge. Jane smiled a bit at how worried Maura was for her safety. "Maura, relax, I was just enjoying the view."

Maura looked equal parts irritated and worried. "Jane, what if you'd fallen? What if I hadn't seen you?"

Jane put a reassuring hand on Maura's shoulder, realising just how much she'd managed to scare her. "I'm sorry. I promise I won't sit on tall objects without your prior approval in the future. Okay?"

The fact that Maura didn't roll her eyes or huff told Jane just how much she needed to mean that promise.

Jane's grin faded immediately. "Hey, Maura, come on. I wasn't in any real danger: my balance isn't that bad."

Maura's face softened slightly, finally realising that Jane hadn't been deliberately flirting with death. Jane decided to try to lighten the mood.

"Okay, we're going on a little trip. Can you grab my bag?"

Jane pointed to a duffel bag that was still next to the edge of the building. Maura looked at it doubtfully before shifting a questioning look back to Jane.

Jane sighed, realising she had a lot of work to do. "Please trust me? And go with me on this?"

Maura frowned. "I should be getting back to my circuit. I explained this Jane, I need to protect people."

Jane crossed her arms awkwardly, her damaged arm still not sitting quite right. "Okay, answer me this. Do you know of any criminal activity that is supposed to be happening in the next four hours?"

Maura squirmed slightly, seeing instantly where Jane was going with this. "No, but…"

Jane cut her off. "And what is the statistical likelihood of someone getting randomly attacked during daylight hours, especially considering the recent drop in crime?"

Maura was looking at the ground again. "Statistical likelihoods don't translate to real events. Just because it's extremely unlikely for a random act of violence to occur doesn't mean one won't happen."

Jane rolled her eyes at the transparent attempt to avoid answering the question. "So, the chance of something happening that you could predict and help avoid is….?"

Maura slumped her shoulders in defeat. "That's beside the point."

Jane's tone softened immediately. "Like I said Maura, you can't help everyone. You aren't all powerful, you aren't psychic, or at least not that kind of psychic. You can't save everyone, and it's not your job to try."

Maura remained silent, clearly not wanting to continue the conversation.

Jane sighed again and went to retrieve the duffel bag. As she reached for the bag she heard Maura move, and the bag disappeared.

Jane turned back to see Maura reluctantly holding the bag. "Alright Jane, where are we going?"

Jane couldn't help smiling when she finally got her way. "You are taking me somewhere new. Somewhere I haven't been before. Some place you've found while you've been wandering around in the forest that no human has ever seen before. Some place you've been dying to show me."

Jane could tell by the contemplative look on Maura's face that there was definitely such a place. Instead of waiting for an answer Jane held out her arms and waited for Maura to turn around to let her climb aboard.

Maura was obviously fighting with herself over whether to let Jane distract her from her mission. She clearly wanted to go with Jane, but her guilt was trying to overpower her own wishes. Jane didn't back down, resolutely meeting Maura's unsure dark eyes.

Finally Maura gave in. She quickly spun around, allowing Jane to carefully jump into position, before walking to the edge she had pulled Jane away from.

Jane could feel Maura hesitate again before she stepped up onto the edge. "Ready?"

Jane nodded and tucked her head in next to Maura's. The next thing she felt was extreme acceleration as Maura jumped from the roof, her sure feet finding the next roof and moving on without pause.

The experience of speeding through the city in daylight was very different to their previous night outings. Jane could see just how close all the buildings were, how fast they were moving, how near to disaster they seemed to be at every moment. But she wasn't afraid, because she suddenly realised she trusted Maura completely.

Since she had woken up in the hospital, Jane had tried her best to banish all doubt from her mind, but there had been lingering doubts. Like Maura she logically understood there was nothing that either of them could have done differently, but she had still watched Maura end her mother's life, and that feeling of unease had taken time to dissipate. She still didn't completely believe, right down to her bones, that Maura was innocent in the whole affair.

Seeing how much Maura was still hurting over her part in the events seemed to have melted the last shred of doubt in Jane's mind and heart. She wasn't faking being comfortable around Maura anymore; she truly was completely at ease and trusted her entirely. She couldn't help letting out an excited yell at her realisation.

Jane could swear she felt Maura smile a little bit at the sound.

They soon left the city limits, roads and houses giving way to rough brush and trees.

Just as Jane's arm was starting to get tired, Maura slowed. They were in a tiny clearing, the trees around them still dense enough to block out the sunlight. She walked a few more paces before coming to a stop, releasing Jane's legs and spinning to support her weight until Jane got her bearings.

After a few minutes, Jane recovered enough to stand unassisted. She indicated Maura should put the bag down, shooing her away before opening it. Maura obeyed with a raised eyebrow, clearly curious about Jane's antics, but not curious enough to start prying for information.

Jane rummaged in the bag, finally pulling out several garments. She held them out to Maura with a flourish. "Ta-da! I thought we'd start by getting you out of those ninja clothes for a change. I don't know about you, but I think there's only so much black even you can pull off."

Maura frowned before taking the clothes from Jane. She frowned further as she sniffed the items. "Jane, these are my clothes! How?"

Jane shrugged. "I still have a key. Nobody has really been to your house in months, so everything was still there."

Maura stared at the clothes, a stunned expression on her face. Jane felt guilty for how long it had taken her to do this.

Clearing her throat, Jane tried to keep her tone light. "Come on, get changed. Nobody can see you out here, so it's time to just be yourself."

Maura couldn't seem to help the little smile that flashed across her face. She walked away behind a nearby tree to change, leaving Jane feeling relieved. She hadn't been completely sure how Maura would react to the reminder of her old life, but she had hoped for this response.

Within seconds Maura stepped back into view. Jane couldn't help the huge grin that spread across her face at the sight of her friend looking like her old self again, from the bottoms of her designer shoes through the stylish slacks and tailored vest to her timid smile. Maura stopped a few feet from Jane, raising an eyebrow as if to say 'well?'

Jane simply nodded and smiled even wider.

The smile stayed on Maura's face for a few more seconds before her eyes dropped and her expression faded into a wistful sadness. She seemed lost in thought for a moment, before her eyes snapped back up to meet Jane's, a forcibly cheerful expression back on her face.

Before Jane could react, Maura was next to her with a guiding hand on her good arm. "Okay Jane, now close your eyes. I'll guide you."

Jane contemplated arguing, feeling like they needed to talk about Maura's lingering hesitation, but decided to go along with the big reveal first and see if she could segue into a conversation from there. She closed her eyes and followed the gentle pull on her arm, carefully placing her feet as they moved through the trees.

Jane felt the moment they moved out of the trees. The space around her suddenly felt huge, and she instinctively twisted her arm to hold onto Maura's hand for stability.

Maura's voice was gentle and soothing. "It's okay Jane, just a few more steps. Trust me."

Jane nodded and relaxed, following the guiding arm again. After a few more steps she felt Maura stop and move around behind her, the sure hands that were guiding her never wavering.

Maura's voice came from right next to Jane's ear. "I've got you. Now open your eyes."

Jane couldn't help the gasp that escaped her at the sight before her. It was fortunate that Maura had a firm grip on her, because her knees almost gave out.

She was standing on the edge of a towering cliff several hundred feet high. The sun was shining brightly, illuminating a gorgeous valley that snaked away beneath her feet. Majestic mountains ringed the gorge, with thousands of trees packed on to each slope making the landscape look like a vibrant green carpet. A river ran at the nadir, meandering its way through the forest from its waterfall source to where Jane could just make out a vast lake shimmering in the distance.

Jane felt Maura move around to her side, her iron grip still steadying Jane's shaky stance. Jane glanced at her friend to finally see a real smile shining back at her. Jane was momentarily dazzled by Maura's shimmering skin, but for some reason it didn't seem odd any more. It seemed right.

Instead of lingering over her change of perception, she simply squeezed Maura's hand and smiled wider in exhilaration.

They both looked back at the vista, content to share the experience in comfortable silence.

Jane felt her heart fill with joy as she cast her eyes over the stunning landscape again. She had seen photos of similarly picturesque locations, but it didn't come close to the experience of seeing it in person. Standing above this scene she felt an amazing sensation of being above and removed from the world, but the secure grip of her best friend grounded her, allowing her to revel in the feeling of freedom and majesty she was thrilled to feel.

After a few minutes, Maura pointed out movement at the river. Jane was amazed to see eagles circling, their smooth flight paths merging harmoniously over the rippling water. They watched in awe as one of the birds spotted its prey, tucked its wings in tight and disappeared from view. Jane's eyes were too human to pick out any other animals from this distance, but she could hear calls from many different creatures echoing through the valley over the whisper of the trees moving in the wind, the sounds mingling into a symphony of nature that was more immersive than any man-made music.

After what felt like hours of staring at the beautiful view, Jane finally tugged at Maura's hand, moving them back from the precipice. She still felt a little breathless; this outing had been an amazing experience. The genuine smile hadn't left Maura's face, and Jane suspected that she had been swept up in the contagious excitement that Jane couldn't help showing.

Maura guided Jane to a convenient patch of grass a few metres away from the cliff, carefully setting Jane down before letting go of her. Jane realised how shaky her limbs were as soon as she had tried to move back from the edge, so was grateful for the support.

Maura disappeared for a moment before returning with Jane's bag. She handed it to Jane before stepping back a few paces, her expression neutral again.

Jane decided to explain the plan for the afternoon. "Okay, so I was thinking we should try to get you back into some of your old routines, stuff you used to enjoy. Step one was the clothes, step two is….movies!"

Jane pulled out a brand new portable DVD player with a flourish and an expectant grin, wiggling the player in Maura's direction when the expression on her shimmering face didn't change.

This reaction wasn't really what Jane had been expecting. She had thought Maura would either give in and enjoy a movie with her, just like old times, or she would get angry and they could talk through what Maura was feeling, hopefully coming to some sort of resolution. Unfortunately, Maura hadn't really reacted at all, which meant Jane was unsure as to how to proceed.

Maura seemed to sense her hesitation after a few seconds and took pity on her, taking the player and setting it aside before settling on the ground next to Jane.

Jane's trepidation grew when Maura sighed before starting to speak. "Jane, I know you're trying to help, but I need you to listen to me. I need you to stop trying so hard."

Jane couldn't help the confused look that spread over her face. "It's just a movie and some clothes, Maura."

Maura closed her eyes in frustration. "I don't just mean this outing Jane. I need you to stop trying to fix me. It's not what I want, or need. It's actually making me feel worse."

Jane's confusion only deepened. She didn't think she was trying to fix anything, only to help Maura feel more like her old self.

Maura sighed again. "Okay. Remember when this first happened? We were completely out of our depth, we had no idea what was going on, and we just wanted to keep everyone safe. We both tried to act as if nothing had changed with me, both because we had the threat of the Volturi hanging over us and because it was easier than admitting I had changed.

"It worked for a while. I went back to work, you fixed up my house so I could still live there, and we had a cover story that everyone had accepted. It almost felt like we were back to normal. I still didn't feel like myself, but we were muddling through.

"Then the Volturi came back. The mob deaths happened. We knew we were in trouble, we knew something was about to happen involving vampires, but we kept pretending we could just keep acting like nothing had changed.

"You know what the outcome of our complacency was. I wasn't ready. I was denying my true nature. You were pretending I was still the same. And your mother was the tragic result."

Jane looked miserable at this point in Maura's recap. She knew all of this, and although she couldn't argue with Maura's words she didn't like where this seemed to be heading.

Maura pushed on before Jane could interrupt. "Now we both know I can never go back to my old life. I think you've acknowledged that, you accept I'll never be the Chief Medical Examiner again. But you haven't stopped trying to make me the person I used to be. And that's the problem Jane. I'm not the same. I've had to change to adapt to the circumstances I find myself in, and it's impossible for me to change back. I don't want to change back. The old me isn't suited for this life."

Jane couldn't hold in her protests, grabbing Maura's arm to emphasise her words. "But you are still the same. You may have super powers and a new diet, but you're still you. You still care about me, you feel guilty, you feel sad, you feel happy when you wear your fancy clothes, you look out for people, you're still the same caring person you've always been! I'm just trying to help you see that! I can't stand to see you so sad and lonely."

Jane's voice rasped to a halt, her emotions closing her throat as she looked into her friend's glittering eyes, desperately trying to convey the depth of her belief.

Maura patted Jane's hand understandingly. "Jane, I need you to try to understand. Everything you've said is true, but you're wrong about me being the same."

In a move too fast for Jane's eyes to follow, Maura stood up and walked a few metres away, tilting her face towards the afternoon sun and spreading her arms to catch the light. Jane couldn't help a slight smile at the sight; her friend looked so beautiful and free for just a moment. However as Maura turned back to face her, holding her hands out to emphasise the supernatural glow of her skin, Jane could see the sadness that permeated every inch of her being. Jane understood the subtle point Maura was making; her physical self was very different, even if it looked the same superficially. Jane frowned as she realised the same argument could be made for Maura's emotional and mental self.

Maura scrutinised Jane's expression for a moment before starting again. "Think about everything that you strive for in life. Your job, your family, your friendships, your dog, your sports, everything. What gives it all meaning? Why do you do what you do?"

Jane wasn't expecting such a deep question. "Uh, I guess because it's important to me. I care about them, I want to protect them, I like being around them. I do stuff I enjoy. And the job, I do that to make a difference."

Maura nodded. "And the thing that makes all of that have meaning is the fact that you have a limited amount of time, and you've chosen to spend it on things that are important to you. Protecting people has meaning because it could come at the cost of your own safety. Spending time with people has meaning because they want to spend precious time with you, and you can never be sure if something might happen to them at any moment. You could lose them at any moment. You could die at any moment."

Maura looked up at the sun again before moving back to Jane and kneeling in front of her. "I don't have that any more, Jane. I'm never going to die of natural causes, I may never die at all. I won't ever run out of time. If I don't accomplish something this year, it can wait until next year. Or next decade. It doesn't matter. Nothing I used to value matters anymore."

Maura grabbed Jane's hand. "Except the people I love. You will all be here for a limited amount of time. Your lives still have value. And I want to do everything I can to protect you. To make sure you have as much time as possible to accomplish everything you want to."

Maura sat back, putting some distance between herself and Jane. "But I can't pretend that I still see the world the same. I can't relate to you all the way I used to. I need to try to understand how to find meaning in my existence without the constraints that have been a fundamental part of my being for my entire life. And I need you to stop trying to turn back the clock and pretend I'm the same person that you befriended. If you still want to be my friend, I need you to help me figure out how to exist as I am, not as what I used to be."

Maura leaned forward, her gaze looking deep into Jane's eyes. "Can you understand? Do you see why we can't keep going the way we have been?"

Jane nodded reluctantly. "I guess I get it. Taking mortality off the table would change how you see things. But, what does that mean? Do you want to stop spending time together? Because I don't see how you being alone helps you figure anything out. I mean you've been mostly alone for months and it doesn't sound like you've got it figured out."

Maura nodded. "You're right, I don't have much figured out yet. Really all I've figured out is what I can't do, and that's pretend I'm still human. But I still want to be around you, Jane. As far as I'm concerned I'm still your friend, and I always will be. And now that I know Hope knows about me, I'll see if there is any possibility of a closer relationship. If everything goes to plan tonight, I might also be able to spend some time with my mother. Maybe someday Frankie might be able to be around me."

Jane frowned, displeased with the direction of Maura's thoughts. "It still sounds like you think you don't matter. Like your feelings, what you want, what you do, doesn't matter."

Maura just shrugged lightly, her expression dismissive. "I don't, not really. Not the way I used to. I don't belong in the world anymore, and I've accepted that."

Jane bristled immediately. "Maura, I can accept that you aren't who you used to be, but that attitude has to stop. Just because you haven't been able to see people doesn't mean you aren't missed. Frankie might be uneasy about everything, but I know he still wonders about you. Your mothers have spent the last few months trying to clear your name because they want you to be okay. Even Paddy has been trying to look out for you. Susie Chang has been walking around the morgue like a zombie ever since you left. Don't you dare think that you don't matter!"

Maura looked surprised, and was rendered speechless by Jane's impassioned exclamation. Jane pressed her advantage. "Maura, you've managed to make a huge difference. You've saved countless people, between stopping the mob war, ending the Volturi threat and your vigilantism, Boston has never been safer. And you've managed to do it without expecting any reward, or praise, or even letting people know who is responsible."

Jane grabbed Maura's hand. "But you have to look after yourself too. You might have different needs now, but they still exist. You need to make time to talk to people, to see the good results of your actions, to live your own life. There's no point in protecting everyone if you can't connect with anyone. We still love you, and we still want to see you, and I think you feel the same. You might be burying that feeling under your guilt and fear, but I think it's there. I don't think you want to be alone."

Jane saw that Maura was listening and sighed, her voice losing its edge as she continued. "Now, I promise I'll stop trying to fix you if you promise to stop pulling away. You need to stop being a shadow on the sidelines, just watching the world go past you. You need to get past your fear and be a part of things. Can you do that?"

Maura nodded, the barest tinges of hope lightening her expression and dislodging the deep sadness that had been clouding her face all day.

Jane smiled widely, relieved to have gotten through to Maura. This tendency to put others first had always been a prominent part of Maura's personality, and it had always been difficult to make Maura see when she was sacrificing too much. Jane suspected this wouldn't be the last time they had this conversation, but it was a start.

Maura was still looking stunned, so Jane tugged on her arm to get her to sit next to her. Maura silently obeyed, pulling her knees to her chest and hugging them defensively as she mulled over everything Jane had said. The pair gazed out at the view, which was still breathtaking no matter how long they stared at it, and tried to process everything they had just discussed.

After around half an hour of comfortable contemplative silence, Jane glanced over at Maura, realising they would have to leave soon to make it back to Boston in time for their meeting with Constance and Hope. As she was about to speak she noticed something odd on the back of Maura's shoulder.

Frowning, Jane awkwardly manoeuvred herself onto her knees and leaned over to get a better look. Maura realised Jane had moved and looked at her questioningly for a moment, before realising what Jane was looking at and flitting away several metres. The expression on her face was somewhere between shame, embarrassment and avoidance, which had Jane instantly worried.

She stood up, moving towards Maura purposefully. "Maura, what is that mark on your shoulder?"

Maura looked at the ground, her arms crossing defensively in front of her. "Nothing you need to worry about Jane, I'm fine."

Jane kept moving, not stopping until she was right next to her stubborn friend. "Let me see, please? Come on Maura, we just agreed that you were going to stop pulling away."

Maura looked into Jane's eyes, seeing the resolve that could easily give way to hurt if she avoided sharing this. Maura caved instantly, despite her reservations. Wordlessly she turned, allowing Jane access to shift her vest out of the way and inspect the marks on her shoulder.

Jane couldn't hold in the shocked gasp. There were three distinct bite marks on Maura's skin, the white marks standing out offensively in the bright sunlight. Between the marks there were two bullet holes in Maura's flawless skin. Cracks emanated out from the holes, the tendrils snaking their way across Maura's back until they terminated at the bite marks or disappeared under her clothes.

Jane carefully touched the bite marks, her fingers feeling the slight imperfections in the surface. "How did this happen?"

Maura ducked her head. "It was during the fight with the Volturi. After I saw you at the start of the raid, I was taken by surprise by Jane and the other two. I think Jane was trying to rip my arm off, but I managed to get out of her grip before she succeeded. That was when she threw me across the room, and I landed in front of you."

Jane's fingers moved over the bullet holes. "And these? Who shot you?"

Maura pulled away slightly, her shoulders slumping. "You did. Those bullets never worked themselves out."

Jane pulled her hand back like it had been burned. "You mean you've had bullets stuck in your back for months? Doesn't that hurt? God, I'm so sorry Maura!"

Maura spun around, her expression pained. "No, they don't hurt, don't be sorry! I can just feel them there, it doesn't matter! I didn't want you to feel bad, that's why I didn't tell you."

Jane closed her eyes in frustration, momentarily overtaken by the unfairness of the whole situation. It was completely wrong that there should have ever been a situation where she would have to shoot her best friend, and it was even more wrong that said friend would be the one feeling guilty about it now.

Jane grabbed Maura's hands, finding her distressed gaze and using the calmest voice she could manage. "Of course it matters. I do feel bad for shooting at you, just like you feel bad for everything that led up to me shooting at you. But it's all in the past. We have to move on from it. We have to let each other help. We need to deal with things together. Okay?"

Maura nodded, but her eyes dropped, her remorse and hesitance still clear on her face. Jane realised something else. "You still feel like you deserve to carry these reminders around, don't you? It's another part of your penance."

Jane knew she had it right from the look on Maura's face. "Well, since I was the one who put them there, my forgiveness should be enough to tell you it's time for them to come out. Do you believe that I forgive you?"

Maura's eyes shot up, her gaze unsure as it met Jane's. She looked at Jane's expression for what felt like ages, before she finally softened. "Yes, I do believe you. I don't know why you forgive me, but you do."

Jane nodded in response, a small smile finding its way onto her face. "Okay, now how about we go back to my house. I've got some tools there we can use to dig the bullets out."

That got a small relieved smile from Maura. Jane could see that the bullets had been bothering her more than she was letting on, probably both emotionally and physically. "Maura, this is the sort of thing I'm talking about. You can't keep things from me because you think it might hurt my feelings. I want to be here for you, to help you. I know I can't do much to help you anymore, I certainly can't protect you, but I can help with this sort of thing. And I'll always listen to you. I'll try to understand."

Maura smiled gratefully. She quickly moved to gather their things, repacking Jane's bag quickly. With a wistful look she picked up her black clothes, ducking behind a tree before emerging, fully covered again. Jane was saddened to see her friend back in the clothes she used to hide from the world, but she had hope that maybe she might be able to get her out of hiding sometime in the near future.

Without needing to discuss it, Jane climbed onto Maura's back, and they sped off towards Boston.

* * *

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	7. Chapter 7

By the time the pair made it back to Jane's apartment, the sun was sinking below the horizon. Jane realised that there wasn't enough time before their arranged meeting with Maura's mothers to attempt to remove the bullets from Maura's back. The 'procedure' was the sole focus of her thoughts the entire way back into the city, and her musing had only made her more nervous about it. She clearly remembered her anxiety the last time she'd had to operate on Maura, and that was when Maura was human and had been able to instruct her how to correctly perform a fasciotomy before she passed out. This time they would be flying blind, with no precise idea how vampire physiology worked, or how it would react to an attempt to dig out two slugs that had been stuck there for months. Jane had no idea if she could hurt Maura, if there was a type on anaesthetic they could try, if she could make the damage worse, or if it was even possible to get the bullets out.

Maura took one look at Jane's troubled face as she slid ungracefully off her back and smiled knowingly. "Jane, calm down. We don't have time to try anything now, we'll talk about it later."

Jane let go of a breath she'd been unknowingly holding, the release of tension relaxing her limbs so much she almost collapsed. Fortunately Maura hadn't let go of her yet, still supporting her weight after the tiring trip back through the city.

Jane nodded gratefully. "Okay. So I guess we need to head over to Hope's house soon."

Maura's face crumpled into a worried frown. "Oh, I just need to run a few errands first. Can you get Frankie to drive you over there? I won't be long."

Jane was surprised, but her muttered agreement couldn't quite hide her relief at being able to go in a car rather than on Maura's back. It was an exhilarating means of transportation, but with her dominant arm damaged and the rest of her body weakened from weeks of inactivity, it was also extremely exhausting.

Maura caught the relieved look on Jane's face and smirked. "I'll see you there."

She turned to leave, but spun back to face Jane again, her expression suddenly serious. "Thank you for today Jane. You've given me a lot to think about."

Before Jane could respond, Maura was gone. Jane shook her head in exasperation, before grabbing her phone and heading to the couch to collapse for a moment before calling Frankie.

Fortunately Frankie was nearby and agreed to come and give her a lift immediately. Jane could see the relief in his face when he saw her safe and unharmed after spending a day with Maura.

As usual, Frankie didn't comment on Maura, or ask about the trip they'd made earlier in the day to Maura's house. It had clearly been difficult for him to be there, Jane had been able to see the tension in his face as soon as she asked him to take her there. But he was clearly trying his best to avoid any awkwardness between them over the issue, and Jane appreciated it immensely. If the situation had been reversed she couldn't imagine having the patience to hold her tongue.

When they pulled up at Hope's address, Frankie fixed Jane with a searching look. "You'd tell me if you were in trouble, right? If there was anything I could do to help?"

Jane frowned, unsure where this had suddenly come from. "Why would I be in trouble?"

Frankie grimaced at the non-answer. "Well I dropped you off at the station earlier after visiting the place our mother was killed. I'm pretty sure you saw Maura today, and now you're visiting Maura's biological mother, who is fairly solidly linked to Paddy Doyle. Are you saying if you heard that visit list you wouldn't be concerned? After we just barely made it out of a mob war alive? A war which Maura is supposed to have started?"

Jane hadn't considered how this would all look to Frankie. The only reason he didn't know the real story was because she had asked him to stay ignorant, which left him in an awkward position. He wasn't stupid, and she immediately felt bad for worrying him. "I'm not in trouble, Frankie. I promise this has nothing to do with Paddy, or the mob. Also just so you know, Maura had nothing to do with that mob war. She just got pulled into it, same as we did."

Jane rubbed a hand over her eyes, fatigue making her voice slightly gravelly. "I'm just trying to help Maura out, to help her get a bit of closure with her mother."

Frankie looked troubled. "Does she deserve closure? What about…"

Jane grabbed his arm, cutting him off, but kept her tone even. "Of course she deserves it. What happened with ma wasn't her fault, and she's lost everything because of it. I know you don't know the details, but believe me when I say, she's suffered enough. The offer is still there for you to get the full story if you can't live with just trusting me, but I'm telling you she deserves any bit of peace she can find."

Frankie stared at Jane with an angry gleam in his eyes, but it soon softened into acceptance. "Okay."

He turned away from Jane, clearly done with the conversation. Jane scrutinised his expression for a moment before getting out of the car, deciding that the situation was as resolved as it was going to be.

Jane heard the car pull away as she walked to Hope's door. Her thoughts lingered on Frankie for a moment, wondering if there was anything else she could say to help him understand without telling him everything. The sight of an expensive car in the driveway snapped her thoughts back to the present in a hurry. Obviously Constance was here, and she would be wanting answers.

Jane wasn't looking forward to this conversation. Every other time she had interacted with Constance, Jane felt like she had the high ground. Now she definitely felt like she was going to be on the defensive, since she was fairly sure Constance would have figured out that Jane knew about Maura and had been lying to everyone. The thought of being in the intense woman's crosshairs was enough to tense her whole body with painful anticipation.

With great trepidation Jane knocked on the door. Hope was obviously waiting, opening the door instantly and regarding Jane cautiously. "Detective Rizzoli. Please come in."

Jane allowed herself to be guided to the study. She saw Constance sitting primly, a cup of tea in her hand. The slight shake of the cup as she set it down was the only outward sign of tension in the dignified woman. Jane tried to smile and say hello, but the steely gaze she received from Maura's mother choked the words in her throat and froze her face into an uncomfortable grimace.

Jane stood awkwardly for a few moments before shuffling to an unoccupied chair and sitting down. Hope had set out four chairs in a rough circle, probably hoping to create a good environment for sharing and communication. Jane just felt like she was on the witness stand about to be cross-examined.

The silence stretched uncomfortably for several minutes, all three women feeling the tension. Hope was fidgeting constantly, worrying the hem of her skirt until she finally couldn't take it. She practically leapt out of the chair, bustling towards the kitchen and leaving Constance and Jane alone. Jane couldn't help a nervous swallow as she glanced at Constance, noting that her steely gaze was still as icy as it had been when she first walked in.

It didn't take long before Jane couldn't take the silence either, her voice escaping in a nervous squeak without her permission. "So, how long have you been in town?"

Constance cocked a derisive eyebrow. "Only three days."

Jane shrank into her chair, her brief burst of boldness quelled under Constance's unspoken rebuke. Jane had no idea what Hope had told Constance about what had been going on, but it was clear that she knew Jane had been keeping the truth from her, and it was not at all appreciated.

Thankfully Maura chose that moment to arrive. Jane heard a clatter and a curse come from the kitchen, followed by Maura's frantic apologies. Hope's voice replied, sounding startled and equally apologetic. Jane couldn't help rolling her eyes; maybe they really should put a bell around Maura's neck.

Constance had heard the commotion as well, her face falling from its hostile mask as she recognised her daughter's voice. She stood up, her hands tangling together nervously as she straightened her shoulders.

Maura's eyes instantly found Constance's as soon as she stepped into the room behind Hope. Jane could see how nervous she was, her hands wringing together like her mother's. Hope manage to break the tension, her shaky hands knocking over a glass as she tried to set out some water for everyone. Maura looked torn for a moment before moving to the chair next to Jane, avoiding Constance's gaze. She pulled off her black gloves and head wrap, placing them carefully aside before returning her gaze to the floor and her hands to their aimless patterns.

Hope stopped clinking glasses and sat down, cradling a glass in her hands. Jane looked around the room, taking in the silence and the identical stares at the floor from all three women. "Oh for Pete's sake!"

Suddenly there were three surprised women staring at her. Jane looked at Maura pointedly, trying to get her to start. Instead Maura seemed frozen, her eyes flitting between Jane and her mother helplessly.

Constance shifted forward on her chair. "Maura, can you please tell me what's going on? First you tell me that you did kill Angela, then Hope tells me it's because you have a medical condition, then she retracts that statement and claims none of this is your fault. Jane clearly knows what's going on. I just want to understand what's happened to you, please."

Maura closed her eyes in surrender. "Are you sure you want to know? It may put you in danger, if the wrong people find out that you know…"

Constance cut her off authoritatively. "I don't care. I need to know what happened to my daughter."

Maura nodded and opened her eyes, her expression determined and a little relieved. "Alright."

Maura stood and clasped her hands in front of her, considering for a moment before speaking in a factual tone. "The crux of all this, the big secret, is this. I'm a vampire."

Jane watched an incredulous expression wash over Constance's face. "A vampire."

Constance doubtfully looked at the faces anxiously awaiting her reaction, looking for any sign that this was a joke. "A vampire? That's what you're telling me? My daughter is a vampire?"

Jane started nodding, as did Hope. Jane slid forward and caught Constance's eye. "It's true, Constance. This is going to be hard to believe, but if you want to know what happened, you need to keep an open mind."

Hope spoke up quietly. "Please, Constance, just listen."

Constance seemed to soften, giving Maura a small nod to continue. She still looked unsure, but seemed less angry after hearing the others support Maura's outrageous claim.

Maura glanced between her two supporters, a grateful smile gracing her lips, before she turned back to her mother. "I realise how it sounds, but it's true, mother. It happened when Jane and I disappeared for a week. I was bitten by a newly born hybrid vampire, and that was enough to start the transformation. Before either of us could react we were taken by another vampire and trapped in an abandoned hospital. When I woke up, Jane told me what had happened and tried to help me adjust."

Constance stood as well, her arms crossed in front of her defensively, her voice disbelieving. "So when you reappeared that week, you were a vampire? That's why your skin and eyes had changed?"

Maura nodded. "Yes. We had invented the medical condition as an excuse for my physical changes, so I could try to go back to work. Everyone seemed to believe us, and I managed to slot back into my life reasonably quickly. It wasn't without difficulties, however."

Maura's eyes grew pained, and Jane knew what she was about to explain. "A vampire has a great thirst for human blood. I managed to keep mine mostly under control, by hunting every day in the forest and by keeping emergency stashes of donor blood in hidden locations."

Constance heard the unsaid part of the sentence and asked the hard question with a wince. "Mostly?"

Maura's eyes closed momentarily before she continued. "The vampire that I mentioned, that kidnapped us? She came back and attacked us in my home. We had almost managed to fight her off, and then Angela walked in…."

Constance heard the pain in Maura's voice and couldn't stand it. She quickly crossed to Maura and pulled her into a hug, which Maura gratefully crumpled into.

Jane felt like she was intruding as she saw Constance start to cry. Catching Hope's eye, she stood and quietly left the room, heading for the kitchen. She heard Hope follow her, and watched as the emotional woman bustled around the kitchen again, clearly looking for anything to occupy herself.

Jane frowned with realisation, realising how panicked Hope's movements were. "Hope, are you still seeing those visions? Maura told me what happened to you, is that still going on?"

Hope glanced at Jane, looking trapped, before she sagged in surrender. "Yes. Every time someone mentions vampires I see a vision of Maura, exactly as she looks now, killing Cailin. It used to be with an ice pick, or with a gun, or beating her, anything a vicious gangster might use, but now I see her attacking as a vampire. Telling Maura my story was almost impossible, I could hear her phantom screaming at me the entire time."

Jane's heart sank at hearing the despair in Hope's voice. She had always believed she would never forgive the doctor for how she had treated Maura, but now she had all the facts it was impossible to comprehend how traumatic the whole ordeal must have been. And despite finally telling her daughter the truth, Hope was still being mentally assaulted by a distorted version of Maura.

Completely surprising them both, Jane gently pulled Hope into a comforting hug. Hope instantly burst into ragged sobs, grasping Jane's back frantically. Clearly she was near her breaking point. Jane gently rocked her, realising that letting her cry it out might be the best she could do for her. Unless they could somehow find the vampire that had done this to her, there was very little any of them could do to help get rid of the visions.

After what seemed like hours, Hope had finally settled and Jane gently pulled away. Hope wiped at her face, clearly embarrassed but also grateful. Jane could see the relief at not having to carry this burden alone, even if there was no cure for her.

After making Hope drink a few glasses of water, Jane led the way back into the study. She could hear voices, and paused in the doorway, not wanting to interrupt.

Maura obviously heard her approach however. "Jane, come in."

Jane obeyed, a slightly sheepish expression on her face. Maura and Constance were sitting next to each other, Constance gripping Maura's hands almost possessively. Jane and Hope sat in the empty seats, neither wanting to disrupt whatever conversation was in progress.

Constance squeezed Maura's hands before dropping them and standing. "Maura has explained the circumstances surrounding her condition and Angela's death. I understand why you were reluctant to tell me, but I'm glad you chose to. I understand you've been looking for answers, and there haven't been any new vampire cases in Boston to help shed light on the bigger picture. I imagine that with both of you away from BPD, your access to information has become limited."

Constance crossed to a briefcase Jane hadn't noticed and started pulling out files. Jane glanced at Maura with a questioning look, but was met with an equally confused one. Hope didn't seem to know what this was about either, but she also still looked dazed after her outburst in the kitchen.

Constance found the file she was after and crossed to the desk, opening the file and spreading out the contents. The other three rose and stood around the desk, casting their eyes over the various documents.

Jane's cop brain kicked into gear immediately. These were heading sheets for case files from multiple homicides, some of which she'd seen before. Maura glanced at her, recognition in her eyes as well.

Maura picked up several files before turning to Constance. "Mother, these are the hybrid birth murder files from the other cities. How did you get these?"

Constance glanced at Hope knowingly. "We managed to form a few contacts within various police departments while we were attempting to clear your name. One of the medical examiners we contacted mentioned you had been gathering files for some sort of paper, and we noticed that you had picked out these particular ones. Since they matched the case you were working on when you disappeared, we thought it was worth looking into further."

Constance pulled open a second file, again containing case file headers. "These cases are more recent. They match the murders that you were working on right before Angela's death. Cause of death exsanguination, untraceable animal bites found on all victims. There have been several of these cases in all cities that had previously seen cases of…hybrid births did you say?"

Maura nodded dumbly, staggered by the number of cases in the file. There must be nearly a hundred.

Constance continued. "Except for Boston, there has been around one murder with this M.O. every week since the hybrid murders began in each city. I believe the total is now 87 across five cities. Boston is the only city that doesn't fit the pattern, with only two deaths during the hybrid cases and none since, until the ones you two investigated before the mob incidents."

Constance stepped back from the table. "Now, I don't know what this all means, but hopefully this information will lead you to some answers."

Jane looked at the mass of files thoughtfully. "Constance, do you have any idea why this hasn't become public? The sheer amount of deaths should have been noticed by someone."

This brought a frown to Constance's face. "No, I'm not sure. Some of this information came from a contact in the FBI, and he was very hesitant to help. Scared, I would say."

Maura and Jane exchanged a knowing look. They had previously wondered why the FBI hadn't stepped in. The amount of deaths and cities involved made the number of people that had to be involved in covering this up astounding.

Constance started gathering the files together, returning them to the briefcase. "This has all the information I could gather. There are some full case files, but in most cases I could only get the header sheets. I don't know if there is enough information, but have a look through it all and tell me which files you need to see. I'll try to find a way to get them for you."

Maura looked troubled. "Mother, I appreciate you helping me, but you do understand that none of this will clear my name, don't you?"

Constance's shoulders slumped slightly, before she reached out and patted Maura's arm. "Yes darling, I do understand that. I'm just trying to help any way I can."

Maura smiled, pulling her mother into a thankful hug. Constance returned it, sadness and resignation flitting across her face. Jane smiled at the renewed closeness between mother and daughter, before glancing over at Hope. She was watching as well, conflicted emotions apparent on her face.

As the pair broke apart, Jane had a thought. "Constance, did Maura tell you what happened to Hope?"

Constance's eyes flitted to the woman in question, sympathy making its way into her expression. "Yes, she did."

Jane nodded. "Can you see if any of your contacts have information on any similar incidents? People turning up terrified in hospitals, ranting about fears, that sort of thing?"

Constance nodded quickly, pulling out her phone to make some notes. "I made some inroads into investigating mental institutions when….well, never mind. I'll contact them immediately, and I'll pass along any cases I find."

Jane realised Constance had been preparing for the possibility of institutionalising Maura, and a quick look at the downtrodden look on Maura's said she had figured it out too. Jane squeezed her arm reassuringly as she reached past her to grab the briefcase.

As it seemed like everybody could do with some time to process, Jane decided to make the first move. "I think I might head out. Maura, if you want to look over all this stuff, I'll be up for a while yet."

Maura looked grateful for the excuse to make a graceful exit. "Do you want a lift home? I thought Frankie was working tonight."

Jane couldn't quite hide the wince. "No, I'll get a taxi, thanks."

Constance picked up her purse and kissed Maura on both cheeks. "Don't be silly Jane, I'll drive you. It's the least I can do."

Jane gaped for a moment, but before she could think of a polite way to refuse she was being herded to the door and into the waiting car. As the door closed, Jane caught one last glimpse of Hope, still looking lost.

Constance remained quiet for the whole drive, simply following the directions from Jane. There were clear signs that the woman was furiously thinking, from her clenching jaw to the tight grip she had on the steering wheel, but she clearly didn't want to discuss the night's revelations yet, so Jane didn't push. She remembered how hard it was to get her head around the reality of vampires existing. She knew Constance was going to have more questions, but her gut told her they would come later, after she had had a chance to start processing everything she'd been told.

As the car stopped and Jane moved to get out, Constance shot out a hand to hold her still. Jane barely prevented an eye roll; what was it today with drivers waiting to get to their destination before starting a deep conversation?

Constance seemed to be carefully choosing her words, before speaking firmly. "Jane, please look after her. She didn't go into much detail about how she's been dealing with all this, but I can see that she has withdrawn. She was already so awkward, and now…."

Constance sighed. "She probably won't feel comfortable talking with me, but please, try to get her to talk? Make sure she isn't lonely."

Jane nodded seriously, knowing how right Constance was. "I've been trying. I'll keep trying. I can't promise much, we're in uncharted territory here, but I promise to keep trying."

Constance looked miserable for a moment. "How has she coped? How has she held herself together through all this?"

Jane suddenly remembered the night she had reconnected with Maura, being devastated to find her drained of all emotion, dead to the world. The horror of the memory made her answer more honest than she intended. "Sometimes she hasn't. After my ma died….I wasn't kind to her. I said a lot of things that I meant at the time, but they weren't true. And with that, and everything else that had happened, she got pushed over an edge that I didn't even know she had."

Constance's expression was distraught as she grabbed for Jane's arm. Jane tried to smile reassuringly as she continued. "But, she managed to go on. She found a new purpose; she's been protecting the city for months now. And she's starting to let people in again."

Jane tried to inject more confidence and certainty into her voice than she felt. "She's gained a lot of control over her new instincts, she understands how the vampire world works a lot better than when this first happened, and I think she's heading in the right direction. She's definitely hit rock bottom, so she can only improve from here."

Constance searched Jane's expression for a long moment. Her distress faded slightly and she nodded, removing her hand. Jane took that as permission to leave, grabbing the briefcase on the way. Before she closed the door, she saw Constance's mouth open again.

"Jane, I can't thank you enough for helping her, even after everything that happened with your mother. I don't think she'd still be here if it wasn't for you. Thank you."

Jane swallowed past a rapidly forming lump, quickly closing the door and backing away with a nod. Constance pulled away as Jane opened her door and stepped into her apartment.

Jane walked to the couch, dropping the briefcase at the end and carefully sitting down. She decided to close her eyes for a minute before she started to look over the files. It had been a long day.

* * *

Hi all! I am so sorry for the huge chunk of time it took to get you guys another update! On a related note, if anyone sees my missing brain at an airport somewhere, just hand it in to lost and found try not to step on it!

Now, I need to extend a special thanks to JaneyGWF this update. Not only has she beta'd the chapter, but she has also created a lovely cover image for the story! Please thank her by reading her stories and leaving some lovely reviews!

OK, hope you enjoyed the chapter, let me know any thoughts that may have struck you!


	8. Chapter 8

Hi all!

Welcome back to this story! I know, it's been a while. As most of you probably know, I decided to focus on Don't Speak in order to get that finished, which is why this one hasn't been updated since...a while. Why haven't I been updating since DS finished you ask? Life got busy is all! But thanks for the random PM prompts a few people sent me, it's nice to have hope that people might still remember this one exists too!

As always, before we proceed, I must thank JaneyGWF, my faithful beta, who has also been oh-so-subtly prompting me for months to get on with it. Thanks!

Now, without further ado, enjoy!

* * *

Jane woke up with a start, reflexively tensing and immediately regretting it as pain shot through her arm. She tried to relax with a pained groan, realising she'd managed to twist in her sleep so she was lying awkwardly on her left side. This, coupled with her bone-deep fatigue from the previous day's activities, made for a rude awakening. It felt like every piece of metal in her rebuilt arm was just a little bit out of place, pressing intrusively against her muscles and rubbing painfully over her bones.

Moving as little as possible, Jane glanced around and ascertained that she was in her own bed. She didn't remember moving there, so she suspected she'd had vampiric help after she fell asleep on the couch. Her inability to stay awake wasn't surprising, since between the trip out to the forest on Maura's back and the emotional conversations with Constance and Hope, she was exhausted and sore.

Jane tried to roll over and check the time, but another painful twinge through her arm stopped her and elicited another yelp of pain, this one a little louder. As she froze and gritted her teeth, she heard her door open and someone zip into the room.

Maura gasped as she appeared in the side of Jane's vision, her face panicked. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Jane groaned again as she shifted to try to see Maura better. "I'm just laying on my arm wrong. It's okay."

Jane felt Maura's hands touch her gently, lifting her body and taking the weight off her injured arm. "Any better?"

Jane tried to help, and choked back another yelp when her entire body protested. "Yeah, but can you put me down on my back?"

There was a sensation of vertigo as Jane felt herself spun in the air, her back finding the bed faster than she had expected. She couldn't help tensing in surprise, which prompted a pained wince and another worried gasp from Maura.

Maura let go of Jane as soon as she was situated, flitting out of the room and returning within seconds holding a glass of water and a handful of pills. Her voice was harried and rushed as she started rambling. "I'm so sorry Jane! I must have dropped you too fast! I underestimated how gentle I should be, and you must be sore because of how much exertion I put you through yesterday, I should have known better, I just didn't think about you being injured, and I let you over exert yourself, and I kept you out late, I'm so sorry, here have these, what else can I do to help?"

Jane cracked an eye open somewhere in the middle of the rant, and could see the guilty look on Maura's face as she started spiralling, her speech accelerating until Jane couldn't make out individual words. "Okay, first, slow down. Second, this is so not your fault. Third, can you help me out with the pain for a minute, just until my meds kick in?"

Jane felt immediate relief as Maura focused and her power wrapped around Jane like a comforting mental blanket. "Of course! I'm so sorry, I didn't even think!"

Jane realised that she could feel the difference in Maura's emotions coming through her power. In the hospital, Maura's power had transmitted her feelings of anxiety and agitation along with the pain relief. There had also been an undertone of fear and her compulsion to run in order to protect everyone. Now those feelings were mostly gone, despite the overwhelming remorse that was still evident in Maura's expression. The dominant emotions felt more protective and loving, rather than fearful and apprehensive. It seemed as though the conversations they had been having had eased Maura's mind at least partially, especially with regards to her loneliness and isolation. Having had her mothers find out her secret and accept her despite her recent history had probably also assuaged some of her fears and worries, since she now had someone besides Jane on her side. It no longer felt as if Maura was seriously considering leaving.

Jane couldn't help smiling as she comprehended how much better Maura seemed after reconnecting with her life. Maura frowned in confusion when she saw the pleased expression. "Why are you smiling?"

Jane just smiled wider. "You feel more like you today. You feel more settled, more okay."

Maura frown deepened ambiguously, but she let the comment pass unanswered as she helped Jane sit up and take her medication. As she gulped down the fistful of pills, Jane watched Maura carefully, comparing the feelings she was transmitting to the expressions flitting momentarily across her face.

She seemed to be fighting against herself for some reason. Her general mental state seemed more settled and calm, but there was something specific bothering her today. She looked reluctant to meet Jane's eye to use her power, and once she had repositioned Jane on the bed Maura had pulled further away than usual. Jane slowly realised it reminded her of each time Maura had found something unsettling about her new state when she was discovering the pitfalls and quirks of being a vampire. She had a tendency to pull away, as if she was scared of hurting someone, every time she found a new reminder that she wasn't human.

Jane briefly considered bringing it up, but Maura looked like she was still trying to figure it out herself. So, instead of pushing, Jane decided to wait and see if Maura would open up. It would be a good test to see if Maura was truly comfortable enough with their current closeness to admit troubling truths, or if she would still resist telling Jane things for fear of inconveniencing or disturbing her.

They sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes until Jane started to feel the effects of the medication. Since she had missed dinner last night, the first thing she felt was a wave of dizziness, which Maura noticed immediately. "Jane? Are you alright?"

Jane nodded weakly, slumping back more heavily into the pillows. Maura panicked at the sight, her voice rising in pitch and volume. "Jane? What's wrong? What do you need?"

Jane groaned in exasperation. "Maura, calm down! I'm just hungry, it's not life threatening!"

Maura leapt into action, immediately vanishing from the room in a blur. Jane could hear her bustling around in the kitchen for a few moments, before she reappeared holding out an apple. "Eat this, I'll bring back something more substantial in a moment."

Jane sighed as she disappeared again, biting into the apple without protest. She really didn't feel that bad, especially now that her muscles had stopped tensing and she was lying in a better position. But she hadn't been quite awake enough to put up her usual tough front, and it had obviously seemed to Maura like she was worse than she was. And since Maura seemed determined to blame herself for every tiny thing that went wrong, she was completely overreacting.

The sound of urgent banging on her front door made Jane freeze. She wasn't expecting anyone today, but after all the conversations and revelations of the previous day, it could be anyone.

Before she could try to sit up, Maura reappeared in a panic. "It's Frankie! He sounds really agitated, he's calling for you! Jane, what should I do?"

Jane attempted to roll onto her side, before immediately wishing she hadn't. Maura's power flowed through her again before she could even cry out, but she had felt enough to know she wouldn't be able to move for a while yet.

Considering her options as she lay back and tried to relax, Jane came to a decision. "You're going to have to let him in."

Maura looked even more panicked. "But he hates me! With good reason! I don't want to upset him, I've caused enough damage here today already!"

Jane wanted to roll her eyes at Maura's apparently inexhaustible guilt, but she knew this issue came too close to too many painful subjects for her to risk diminishing the importance with sarcasm. "I already talked to him about this. He knows we've been talking, and he specifically said that he was ready to see you again. Trust me, it'll be okay."

Maura started fidgeting nervously, mulling over Jane's words. "Are you sure he meant it? You know how Frankie is, he'd say anything to make you feel better when you're injured, even if it wasn't entirely true."

Jane sighed. "True, but I'm pretty sure he meant it. If not, we'll find out now, and then we'll go from there. Now go let him in, before he breaks my door down."

Maura listened to the insistent banging, then rushed out of the room, apparently agreeing with Jane's assessment of his urgency. Jane forced herself to stay still, trying to hear what was going on. She could make out their voices, but not the words, much to her frustration.

After a few minutes her door opened, and Frankie stuck his head in hesitantly. "Hey Jane. Are you okay? Uh, Maura said she broke you, or something."

Jane gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm okay, she's completely overreacting. I just slept wrong. Are you okay with her being here?"

Frankie frowned momentarily, before his expression became more neutral as he crossed to the bed and sat next to Jane. "I can't say I'm thrilled to see her, but I said I was okay with this, and I intend to mean it. Eventually. I'm working on it."

Jane nodded carefully, mindful of jostling her aching joints. "That's pretty great of you Frankie. We both appreciate it."

The two siblings sat in awkward silence for a few long moments, before Jane couldn't stand it. "So, you're here too early for a casual visit, spill."

Frankie sighed heavily. "Yeah. I need to talk to you about something. Actually, I probably need to talk to both of you. Can you come out to the kitchen? I think Maura's making us breakfast, and I saw you've got a whole bunch of files there that are probably relevant."

Jane suddenly felt uneasy. "Why would the files be relevant? What do we need to talk about?"

Frankie met her eyes seriously. "Vampires."

Jane bolted upright, ignoring the pain as she reacted without thinking. "What?"

Maura appeared next to the bed, her expression shocked. "What?"

Frankie promptly fell off the bed with a yelp as Maura's unexpected arrival startled him. Maura glanced at him apologetically before rushing to help Jane, who had just noticed with a grimace how much sitting up had hurt. Jane quickly found her legs hanging off the side of the bed and her upper body supported against Maura, her head spinning both from hunger and the surprise of hearing her supposedly safely ignorant brother utter that forbidden word.

Frankie glanced between them, clearly reluctant to have this conversation, but seemingly resigned. "Good poker face guys. I'll meet you in the kitchen."

He got to his feet and stomped out of the room. Maura and Jane both gaped after him, Maura frozen still as a statue while Jane breathed rapidly in panicked and pained shallow gasps.

Jane found her senses first, giving Maura's side a firm elbow poke to bring her back to reality. "Do you think he knows? Did someone tell him?"

Jane could see that fear was the prevalent emotion in Maura's eyes as she finally responded. "I don't know! What if he does know! Jane, too many people already know! If the Volturi find out, they could all be in danger!"

Jane gestured impatiently for Maura to help her, the discomfort lessening as she got to her feet and put her arm in a sling. "We aren't going to find out by sitting here speculating and worrying. Let's just go ask him what he meant."

Maura nodded emphatically in reply, her expression still terrified.

With Maura gently supporting her, Jane was able to make it to the kitchen and sit at the bench next to Frankie, who had positioned himself next to the pile of files Constance had given them the previous night.

Maura quietly asked if Jane would be alright without her assistance, waiting until she got a definite yes before she moved back to her breakfast preparation. The three maintained a tense silence, Jane and Frankie staring at the bench and Maura resolutely concentrating on the cooking, until plates of eggs appeared in front of the two humans in the room.

Jane dug into her breakfast awkwardly, her coordination with her non-dominant hand still not great. She saw Maura twitch towards her, as if she wanted to help by feeding Jane herself, but thankfully she restrained herself with a frown.

Frankie pushed the food around his plate, looking extremely uncomfortable. After a few minutes, he dropped his fork in defeat, leaning back in his chair and staring at Maura unapologetically. Maura's shoulders dropped as she curled in on herself, self-loathing and shame clearly evident in her entire being.

Jane grimaced at the tension in the room, and decided she needed to break it. "Frankie, just ask whatever you need to ask. Stop staring."

Frankie frowned. "Fine. I need to know the facts about vampires. What they can do, what they want, and most importantly how to kill them."

Both women just gaped at him. He huffed before continuing. "I don't want to kill you, Maura. I trust Jane and she says you're ok. But I need to know what I'm about to walk into."

Jane recovered first again, while Maura seemed to be frozen in place again. "Frankie, how do you even know Maura is a vampire?"

Frankie rolled his eyes. "Please, like it was hard to figure out. She can't go out in sunlight without all those extra clothes. I saw her super speed and strength in the warehouse. Ma's cause of death was exsanguination, and you both admitted that Maura was responsible for that. How many more clues did you think I'd need?"

Jane just felt confused. "So why did you let us think you didn't know?"

Frankie shrugged. "It seemed important to you, and you had enough to worry about with your recovery and all. I didn't want you to worry about me too."

Maura finally moved, looking scared. "Frankie, have you told anyone that you know?"

He rolled his eyes again. "Of course. 'Hey Lieutenant, you know our missing Chief Medical Examiner? I think she was turned into a vampire, randomly killed my mother then disappeared. Think we can close the case now?' No! I haven't said a word to anyone, not even Dad and Tommy. Korsak and the others in homicide with access to the case information probably figured it out too, but nobody was talking about it."

Maura breathed a sigh of relief, but Jane leaned in with a concerned frown. "What do you mean 'was'? Are they talking about it now? Did something happen?"

Frankie nodded sombrely. "That's why I'm asking now. You know about the serial killer murders, the one we thought was involved in ma's death before moving to New York?"

Both Maura and Jane nodded uneasily. Frankie's eyes flicked to the pile of case files on the bench, which had the most recent murders from New York on top.

Frankie sighed in resignation. "They're starting a task force to look into it. Some of the murders happened at the same time, or too far away from each other to be the same person. The investigators in New York think that there is a cult responsible. They've asked for detectives from all the cities involved to join the task force, to try to find any leads. Everyone is stumped, since there's no forensic evidence, no DNA, no witnesses, no links between victims, nothing except the cause of death."

Frankie's gaze fixed on Maura, his expression somewhere between accusing and regretful. "They have a working theory, mostly because of your part in the case. They think the cult kidnaps people, drugs them and then brainwashes them until they're indoctrinated. They think that's what happened to you guys when you disappeared. It makes sense that you weren't hurt, if they were trying to brainwash you, not hurt you physically or ransom you or whatever. The theory is that the drugs didn't work on you Jane, so you were let go, but it did work on you, Maura. They think that ma was some kind of initiation, and you passed, so you ended up leaving and hiding with the cult somewhere."

Maura looked conflicted after hearing the police theory about her, but chose not to address it. "So, you're going to New York to join this cult task force?"

Frankie nodded. "I leave tomorrow. And they're not calling it a cult task force, they're calling it a vampire task force."

Jane straightened in her chair. "What? I thought they were convinced this is all a cult thing?"

Frankie scoffed. "On paper they are, but everything about this just feels wrong. I think the detectives in the task force buy the cult line, they just think the vampire name is a bit of a joke, but I don't think the brass does. I'm not sure who called it a vampire task force, but I think that someone knows what's really going on, and they're using us to make it look like they're trying to do something about the murders while they ignore or cover up the real problem."

Jane nodded slowly. "The response from the brass hasn't made sense on this case right from the start. You guys had multiple murders with the same M.O., not to mention us going missing during the investigation, but the FBI was nowhere to be found. The press has never gotten wind of the numbers of victims, they never noticed the hybrid mothers, and there has never been a massive public outcry about any of this. Plus there's the fact that I've never been interviewed about any of this since I gave my witness statement after the warehouse. You're right Frankie, there is a lot more going on here than we know."

Frankie allowed his sister to finish before jumping in with a question. "Go back, hybrid mothers?"

Jane winced, having not meant to give away that part of the story. She looked at Maura, who still seemed extremely stressed, but who also looked resigned.

Maura met her gaze and nodded. "We should tell him everything. He needs to know the full story. I'll call my mothers and ask them to come over, they would want to know about this too. We may as well all be on the same foot."

Jane nodded in agreement. "Yep, everyone on the same _page_ would be good for a change."

Maura frowned in puzzlement, while Frankie barked out a surprised laugh. "I can't believe you guys still do that."

Jane smirked at him. "I know, telepathic super powers and she still can't use slang properly."


	9. Chapter 9

Hi all!

Cheers to JaneyGWF for betaing as always! Please let me know if you like this one, it's a bit more plot-like than usual, so if you guys really hate chapters like this, let me know!

* * *

Maura had been in the other room talking to her mothers for several awkward minutes, leaving Frankie and Jane sitting uncomfortably with no idea what to say to each other. Until recently, they had kept their relationship close and amicable by avoiding the subject of vampires and their mother's death entirely. Now that it was in the open, it felt like a wedge had been driven between them. Jane had no idea why, but it felt like she had betrayed Frankie somehow, and she'd just been caught.

Not wanting to dwell on it, she grasped desperately for a safe topic. "So, has anything interesting been going on at the station lately?"

Frankie sat up a little straighter, obviously thankful for the chance to think about something else for a minute. "Well, things have been fairly quiet since the mob bosses went down really. I assume Maura…well, anyway."

Jane sighed in frustration, baffled by the way that everything somehow came back to the taboo subject.

Frankie suddenly chuckled slightly, drawing a surprised look from Jane as he explained. "OK, you want something interesting. This happened yesterday. We've been working with DCU on a drugs and arms dealer ring, one of the last organised groups we know about. We got involved because there was one murdered dealer linked to the ring, plus our case load has been basically zero lately. Anyway, we've been tracking these guys, trying to get someone undercover, tracing the deliveries, but nothing's worked. Then, out of nowhere, the ringleader and all his top guys turn up at the station and turn themselves in. They completely cooperate, tell us everything they've been doing, name all their suppliers, everything we could ever want to know."

Jane gaped for a moment in disbelief, making Frankie chuckle again before continuing. "I know! We couldn't believe it either! It turns out that the leader is convinced he's cursed. He's been feeling sick for a few weeks, with a few weird symptoms like boils, sores, nose bleeds, that sort of thing. He had these books and flyers about a curse that can be put on someone, and the only way to recover is to confess and repent, or something like that. Apparently he went and saw a whole bunch of doctors, and there was nothing medically wrong with him, so he decided to turn himself in."

Jane laughed, then turned to see Maura coming back into the room with an amused and smug look on her face. Jane raised an eyebrow. She knew that look, it was Maura's 'I just proved who the killer is' look.

Jane cleared her throat to get Maura's attention. "Something you'd like to share with the class?"

The guilty look on her face made Frankie groan in frustration. "Really? This was you too? Why do we even bother having real cops in this town?"

Jane tried not to laugh as Maura answered apologetically. "I'm sorry, Frankie. I just wanted to try a new method of getting criminals off the streets. I've been putting chemicals in his food for a few weeks, which cause the symptoms you describe but without any long term ill effects. I also planted the religious material in his safe house and put up some posters in his neighbourhood."

Jane lost the battle and burst out laughing. "And exactly why did you need to go to all this trouble to get one arms dealer to confess? Surely it would have been quicker to just call in an anonymous tip and then knock them all out when BPD showed up."

Maura nodded. "Quicker, yes, but I wanted to see if I could get him to truly regret his actions, and prevent him from returning to the same activities once he serves his time. I know I can bash heads and get criminals off the street, but I also want to make an effort to stop them coming back again."

That brought Jane's laughter to a stop. She looked at Frankie, who was also looking contemplative. They had always had a specific job as cops, which was to get criminals away from law-abiding citizens, but the rehabilitation part had always been someone else's responsibility. Maura had managed to go a step further, or at least she'd tried to.

Jane smiled proudly at her friend, who looked back with a hopeful expression. "So, is it okay that I did this? I can stop if I'm treading on someone's toes, I just wanted to do more."

Frankie jumped in before Jane could respond. "It's actually a great idea. I mean, normal people wouldn't have been able to pull it off, but I guess if you can manage it, and you have the time, it's a really smart way to go about it. No casualties, lots of criminals behind bars, win-win."

Maura smiled happily at Frankie, obviously thrilled to have done something right in the eyes of the younger Rizzoli detective. Jane felt a slight pang of unease at his 'normal' comment, but let it pass as an assumed innocent use of the expression rather than an intentional dig at Maura.

The three passed the time until Maura's mothers arrived by getting Frankie up to speed on everything they knew about vampires. He had already seen a glimpse of their powers when he watched Maura during the mob war, but he was amazed to hear just how fast and strong she really was. Jane tried to pull the conversation up before they told him how to kill vampires, just in case he hadn't really forgiven Maura completely, but Maura barrelled right through the subject without pause. She even showed Frankie a few of the incendiary rounds from Jane's ammo stockpile. She either trusted him completely, or had decided that if he wanted to kill her someday, he deserved to know how. The unsettling suspicion that it might be the more troubling option made Jane frown unhappily, unnoticed by either of the others as they continued to discuss ammunition.

The moment for Jane to comment passed as the door swung open, with Constance and Hope walking in together chatting animatedly. They stopped talking as they noticed Frankie, regarding him warily as they noted him sitting next to their daughter holding a handful of bullets.

Maura was oblivious to their uneasiness, bustling over and ushering them into the lounge room. Frankie got up and joined them, handing the bullets back to Maura. Jane stood carefully, moving slowly to give her arm a chance to adjust to the new position. As she finally made it to a seat, Maura reappeared, the bullets presumably put away and the stack of files in her hands. She glanced at Jane, asking silently if she wanted to take the lead, but Jane shook her head minutely, passing the control of the informal meeting over to Maura. As much as Jane was used to taking the lead in investigations, this felt like a time where Maura needed to be in control of something. Since they weren't having much luck controlling anything else, the least Jane could do was let Maura speak about a subject she was now an expert in.

Maura carefully divided the files into stacks on the table before starting to speak. "Thank you all for coming. As I mentioned, Frankie has become aware of the existence of vampires, and we have agreed to inform him about everything that has happened since…well, since I became one. The reason this is happening now is that he is being sent to New York to assist a task force that will be, on the surface, pursuing a cult. We know, however, that the so-called cult is actually a group of vampires."

Constance and Hope looked concerned, but didn't interrupt. "I wanted to get all of us together to make sure everyone is on the same page."

Jane and Frankie shared a small grin when Maura got the slang right. They sat and listened as Maura went through every event that had occurred since they had first encountered a vampire. Jane had heard it all before, as well as living through most of it, so she spent most of the time watching everyone's reactions.

Frankie looked bewildered from the start, and the expression didn't change until Maura reached the part about their mother dying. Jane could see the rage making his whole body tremble as he heard exactly how she'd died, and she noted that it didn't dissipate until he heard how she'd been avenged at Jane's hands. Even then, there was still some residual anger, evidenced by his hands, which hadn't let go of their death grip on his seat the entire time Maura had been talking. He had mostly been maintaining normal eye contact, but he still looked a little uneasy when he looked at Maura, his eyes sometimes sliding away for a moment before he regained his composure and concentrated again.

Like Jane, Constance and Hope had heard most of the story before, so their reactions were calmer. They both looked sad when Maura talked about all the difficulties she'd faced, and Jane knew that Maura had skated over most of them. She'd only mentioned physical obstacles, like her unquenchable thirst or inability to be seen in sunlight. She hadn't talked about the crippling loneliness, or her fears for the future. She hadn't explained the dark place she'd ended up in after she accidentally killed Angela, or the struggle she'd endured to get back to where she was now.

Instead, Maura focussed on the parts of her story that were relevant to the problem in front of them. Frankie was going to an unfamiliar city which, unlike Boston, had murderous vampires to deal with.

Maura completed her story and summarised the statistics they had discovered. "So, as far as we know, there have been twenty four hybrids born in Boston, twenty one in Chicago, twenty two in Philadelphia, and thirty one in New York. These are the latest numbers based on the reports we have here. It is very likely that there are more, since these are just the mothers' bodies that have been found."

Constance sat forward and interrupted politely. "I have managed to establish contacts with offices of the medical examiner in thirty five states. As far as I've been able to find, these are the only four cities in the U.S. that have seen these types of deaths. They also don't match any historical cases. It seems as though hybrids are a new phenomenon, or at least this practice of mass breeding is new."

Maura nodded. "That corroborates the story I got from Carlisle and the Volturi."

Jane noticed the slight catch in Maura's voice as she flinched at having to mention their deceased tormentor, but it was brief. "We also know of multiple deaths identifiable as vampire kills that have occurred in all four affected cities since the hybrids started being bred."

Constance interjected again. "Vampire killings have been around as long as there are records, but never in this number. I have case files for eighty seven murders that occurred at or around the same time as the hybrid births. The national average for vampire murders seems to be closer to a death per month in a major city, but these deaths have been happening at a rate of more than one a week per city."

Hope sat up to add her part to the discussion, her voice hesitant. "I've seen these sort of deaths at a lot of my clinics, before I knew what I was looking at. I can recall three separate instances of towns that appeared to have some sort of violent serial killer attacking them, which must have been a vampire or a group of vampires killing and then covering their tracks badly. I couldn't get any specific records from any of my contacts, but from what I've heard, there were about fifty deaths that were probably vampire related over a two year period. There were probably hundreds more that I didn't hear about. This was mostly in third world countries though. Murders aren't necessarily looked into as carefully as they are here, so there would have been nobody to notice the trend. I only heard about the killings because I ended up with a lot of orphaned children or widowed wives in my clinics, who told me about a faceless killer that came at night without a sound."

The whole room sobered as they let the magnitude of the issue sink in. It was a worldwide issue, with vampires potentially in every country. They were ridiculously powerful, fast, impossible to kill and insatiable in their thirst. There would be nothing any human law enforcement agency could do to stop them.

Frankie was the first to speak up. "So, if there's been vampires murdering people all throughout history, how is it nobody has ever noticed? It's bad enough now with these 'serial killer' murders, but this has obviously been going on forever, right?"

Maura nodded thoughtfully. "When this first happened to me, I tried to research vampires, both on the internet and at local libraries. I also quietly contacted a few colleagues at various universities. There are mentions of vampires, or creatures very close to them, in most ancient civilisation's mythology. There are references to an aversion to sunlight, strength, speed, and a thirst for blood. But there are also myths that include stakes, garlic, powers of persuasion, the ability to fly, shapeshifting, powers of seduction, the need to sleep in coffins, aversion to fire, the list goes on. It is almost impossible to find the slivers of truth buried in the mountains of rumour and fantasy. The popularisation of vampires in fiction has also brought the legends of vampirism out of the realm of myth and into storytelling, making vampires something to aspire to or gossip about rather than fear. The sheer volume of material is enough to convince most logical humans that there is no such thing as vampires."

Jane frowned. "So humans have known about vampires forever, but we've convinced ourselves that we made them up?"

Maura shrugged, obviously disliking how much Jane had simplified her answer but unable to disagree with the sentiment. "Whatever the history of vampires, the other thing that has kept them, well, us, a secret is the Volturi. They have assigned themselves the responsibility and the authority of protecting the secret, with the application of deadly force to be used as they see fit. They have created several laws to assist in this task, and they are brutal when faced with a vampire that is not obeying their laws."

Frankie frowned in disagreement. "But surely that can't be enough in this day and age. People have smart phones, there are surveillance drones and cameras everywhere. There's no way that some vampire hasn't been caught doing something supernatural by now."

Jane flicked a foot at the pile of folders on the table. "Add to that the fact that all these murders haven't been picked up by some higher authority. The fact that this was never national news. I think we can all agree that there is somebody or something covering up vampire activity over and above what we know the Volturi can do. This isn't just cleaning up messes and killing rogue vampires, this is high level computer hacking, cover ups within federal level law enforcement all the way down, possibly even governmental interference. We haven't seen the players at the top yet."

The room fell silent again. The sheer amount of history that was staring them in the face, telling them to stop investigating and leave it alone, was staggering. To Jane, it felt like this was all far too dangerous. She was only a homicide detective. She just wanted to put in an honest day's work protecting her loved ones and the innocent public, then come home and feel safe in her own city. But her eyes had been opened to the reality of the darker, more sinister world that they had always unknowingly lived in, and she suspected she'd never feel safe again.

Maura shuffled a file around, before deciding to move on. "Well, that's the general overview of the human side of this. The next part I wanted to go over was what I've found out about the vampires that were in Boston."

Maura moved to the bench and grabbed Jane's laptop, opening up a file and typing frantically for a few seconds. She then placed the laptop on the table, encouraging Frankie to stand so he could see the screen. "From what I've been able to piece together, Jane and I have encountered the trails of nine different vampires. The first was at the crime scene we were taken from, when I was bitten by the hybrid newborn. I picked up this scent at all of the hybrid scenes before that one, and also the one after. The second is the Volturi, Jane, who I have on here as V1. Since she was a senior member of the Volturi, and the vampire that abducted us was clearly also a Volturi, I have called him or her V2."

Maura indicated a spreadsheet she'd just created on Jane's laptop. It showed each of the locations where they had encountered vampires, hybrids or vampire trails, naturally all colour coded. V2 was next to all the locations Maura had just mentioned, as well as the hospital where they'd been held while Maura transformed.

Maura gave the group a moment to absorb the information and understand the spreadsheet before continuing. "Now, the next scene had V2's scent, plus five other vampires. It also had a scent that I couldn't identify at the time, but I now know to be the odour of a burned and killed vampire. Since the unknown five scents all leave together, and V2's scent terminates at the scene, I believe the five unknown vampires to be enemies of the Volturi. I have designated them R1 through R5. R is for Rogue vampire."

Jane cast her eyes over the rest of the list as Maura continued. "As you can see, the Rogue vampires attend all the rest of the hybrid scenes, but I haven't found any sign of them since the last body was found. My best guess is that they were in Boston to breed hybrids, and when the last of them was born they left town. Since there are similar patterns in other cities, it is likely that they joined up with other Rogue vampires who were gathering hybrids from those cities."

Jane raised an eyebrow at Maura in disbelief. "Doctor Isles, was that a guess? Did you actually express a guess without me having to prise it from your cold, dead lips?"

Maura looked like she was trying to make herself smile, but she was too hurt to manage it, and Jane kicked herself when she realised what she'd said. Constance and Hope gave Jane an angry look, while Frankie looked nonchalant about the unfortunate comment as he sat back down. Jane put her good hand over her face, muttering apologetically. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

When Jane took her hand away, Maura gave her a small forgiving smile before continuing as if nobody had interrupted. "I didn't find any sign of vampires in Boston until the first vampire kill was found. I identified a new scent at the scene, which I later identified as a third Volturi vampire. The next scene had the scent of the last vampire we have encountered, also a Volturi. I have labelled these two as V3 and V4 on the sheet. These two were killed by Jane and myself during the confrontation at the mob warehouse, as was Jane, their leader. This means that four Volturi have been killed in Boston over the last few months, while the Rogue vampires have managed to breed at least twenty four hybrids and escape the city."

Frankie looked worried. "So, if all these Volturi have been killed here, why hasn't anyone come looking? They don't really sound like the type to live and let live."

Jane nodded. "That worries me too. But it's been months, and Maura hasn't found any sign of vampires anywhere in the city. She's been killing herself looking out for us, but they haven't made a move. My guess is that they're busy with the Rogue group somewhere else. Most likely New York, since that's where these vampire murders have started up again."

Maura rolled her eyes at Jane. "I haven't been killing myself, Jane. But she's right, the Volturi seem to be avoiding Boston. That's why I think I should go to New York with Frankie."

Everyone in the room gaped at her, before standing angrily and protesting all at once.


	10. Chapter 10

Hi all!

Thanks as always to JaneyGWF for betaing! Here we go! Please let me know if you're enjoying the story, or if there's anything you want to see explored more/less!

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Maura found herself buffeted from all sides by protests. She had expected Jane to disagree with her decision to go to New York, but she hadn't been expecting such a united front of opposition. Her supernaturally fast mind allowed her to listen to all the arguments that were being simultaneously thrown at her, so she decided to consider them all before answering.

Frankie was insisting that he neither needed nor wanted her protection. This shouldn't have surprised her, but she still felt stung by his rejection. Although he was desperately trying to accept her presence for Jane's sake, it had been clear from his behaviour that he was still not past her part in his mother's death. His breathing caught minutely in anger every time he looked at her, his heart rate increased each time she moved, he refused to meet her gaze for more than a few seconds at a time, and his body had been suffused with tension from the moment she'd answered the door. These minute signs would have been invisible to anyone else, probably even to her when she was human, but her vampire eyes and ears missed nothing. When she'd given Frankie the special ammunition to look at, he had glanced between her and the bullets contemplatively, and it was obvious that he was trying to decide if he would ever use them on her. His face had returned to its impassive mask before she saw the answer, but she knew the idea had been planted. She probably wouldn't know the answer unless he acted on the impulse and decided to shoot her after all.

His refusal to accept her help shouldn't have hurt, but she found that it did. She had always considered Frankie to be the closest thing to a brother she would ever have. She still felt that way, even if he no longer cared for her and only tolerated her presence because she was his sister's friend. However, she knew she would go and protect him whether he wanted her to or not, for his own sake, for Jane's sake and for the sake of keeping her vow of protecting Angela's family.

Hope was voicing her fears about Maura going up against other vampires again. This was understandable, since Hope's experience with vampires had been overwhelmingly negative. She was concerned that Maura would get herself killed if she encountered another vampire as cruel as the one that had twisted Hope's mind, or one connected to the Volturi who had a score to settle. Maura couldn't deny that there was a possibility of her getting into a dangerous situation, but if that was the case it would mean Frankie was also in danger. Since her purpose was to protect him and others she cared about, there was no question in Maura's mind that she would happily put her own safety at a lower priority than being where she was needed.

Constance had very similar fears to Hope, but she was also insisting that Maura needed to be near the people who cared about her for her own sanity, rather than going to New York where she would once again be alone. Again, Maura could understand the emotion behind this argument. She had not done particularly well alone. Although her practical accomplishments were laudable, her mental state had deteriorated without contact with Jane and her other human touchstones. However, now that her secrets were all out in the open, at least with the people in this room, she no longer felt isolated. It felt as though she had ties to the world again, and it made a colossal difference to her state of mind. She once again felt like she had something to live for. There were still underlying long term issues, like what she was going to do in fifty years when everyone she knew had passed away, but she had decided to try not to dwell on that inevitability. Instead, she would use the time she had with them wisely, and that included protecting the people she loved, while still ensuring she was a part of their lives.

Jane was, as always, the hardest for her to argue with. Instead of leaping to her feet with a list of reasons why Maura shouldn't go, she had allowed a single 'no' to escape her lips, before almost crumpling in on herself, her expression pleading and questioning as she stared at Maura.

The amount of emotion behind that one syllable was staggering. Maura felt the accusation, the sadness, the guilt, the worry and the sense of loss all in that one heart-wrenching word. Maura could see all of the questions clearly in Jane's hunched shoulders. Are you leaving because of me? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Are you trying to run away? Will you ever come back? If you get killed trying to protect my brother, how will I live with the guilt?

Maura didn't have good answers to any of the unspoken questions, because Jane knew her too well. Maura did still feel guilty over Angela's death, and they both understood that would never stop being true. They also both knew that protecting Frankie was the only way Maura could keep her guilt under control, but it was also a way for Maura to run without really abandoning Jane. It was a way for her to distance herself, while allowing both of them to believe that it wasn't forever.

When Jane had said no, it wasn't an argument. It was resignation. It was an acknowledgement of loss. It was Jane recognising that their lives were about to be thrown into chaos again, and there was nothing she could do about it. As soon as Maura had declared her intention, they both knew she would be going, and they both knew Jane would hate it, but would let her go.

Maura met Jane's imploring look with one as reassuring and confident as she could manage, but she was fairly sure Jane saw through it to the cracks underneath. She didn't comment however, instead choosing to nod at Maura and sit back down in defeat. Maura knew they would talk about this later, but at least in front of the others Jane would back her decision.

Before she started to respond to their concerns, Maura closed her eyes and allowed herself to appreciate the proof in front of her that these people truly still cared about her. Despite what she was, despite her lamentable actions, they were still standing here, caring. It was more than she felt she deserved, but she was truly grateful.

Maura opened her eyes, deciding to take on the most emotional refusal first. "Frankie, I understand that you don't think you'll need help, but we don't know enough about the situation. There could be vampires manipulating this task force. You could encounter vampires or hybrids and have no way of defending yourself. If I'm there, I can at least stop them long enough for you to get away."

The others all frowned and moved to argue, but Frankie jumped in angrily before they could speak. "I know this is dangerous. All of our lives have been dangerous since you changed. But we didn't get a choice then, so I want the choice now. I don't want you anywhere near me. I don't want to end up like ma."

Jane stood furiously. "Frankie! That's enough! You know that wasn't her fault!"

Frankie whirled on his sister, his voice deafening and outraged. "Of course it was! She could have chosen not to be there! She could have left the city, stayed in the forest, stayed away from everyone! Instead she let ma keep coming to her house, even though she knew she could kill her! This was all completely avoidable if she'd just left us alone!"

Constance stepped forward and put a calming hand on Frankie's shoulder, her commanding voice ringing above his. "You are forgetting the Volturi threats. As far as Maura knew, her leaving would result in reprisals against everyone she held dear. She acted upon that information as best she could. The end result was neither within her ability to foresee, nor avoidable. It was the actions of the Volturi that killed your mother, not anyone here."

Frankie ripped his arm away from her grip. "Well I don't happen to agree. You two took down those Volturi by yourselves, and Jane was injured. I think you should have stood up to them. You should have stayed away. Ma wouldn't be dead, there wouldn't have been a mob war, and I wouldn't be heading to New York to chase down a non-existent cult instead of doing my job."

Jane took a deep breath to yell some more, but Maura put a restraining hand on her arm and spoke softly instead. "Frankie, I understand how you feel."

Frankie batted her hand away forcefully, yelling over whatever she would have said next. "No you don't! You've never lost your mother! You've never had one of your best friends turn into a murdering monster!"

Maura flinched at his accusatory and hateful tone, and took a moment to compose herself before answering as calmly as she could. "I've been over all these events countless times, thinking about what I could have done differently. While in hindsight there were other paths that might have ended more positively, at the time I know I did the best I could. We all did. But I understand if that doesn't matter. I don't expect you to forgive me. But you need to understand that I'll still protect you, whether you see me or not."

Maura vanished for a moment, reappearing with one of Jane's firearms. "Please, take this gun and ammunition. It's the only weapon that will let you defend yourself against vampires. I advise you not to get caught with it, since the other officers might question why you are carrying incendiary ammunition. I promise you won't see me, but I'll make sure you're safe."

Frankie took the gun hesitantly, checking the clip carefully before putting the gun into his belt. He glared at Maura, his eyes flicking over to include the others in his display of disapproval, before turning and leaving, the door slamming loudly in his wake.

Maura sighed in defeat. She had hoped to go to New York with Frankie's consent, but it seemed she would be protecting him against his wishes after all. She heard Hope and Jane sit back down, but her mother remained standing. Maura was surprised when Constance pulled her into a comforting hug, one she returned stiffly.

Constance pulled back, her expression worried as she looked at Maura. "Don't let his words hurt you. You know he's still grieving, and I don't believe he truly meant any of those sentiments."

Maura smiled weakly, knowing otherwise. "He meant most of it. He knows he'd be in danger if he went to New York alone, but he does blame me for Angela's death. He was willing to listen, and he kept an open mind until I had explained everything, but he will never forgive me."

Jane scoffed in disgust. "He'd be dead himself if it wasn't for you. Your powers were what saved us all during that shootout."

Maura moved away from Constance and faced Jane, her posture still resigned. "He would argue, correctly, that there wouldn't have been a shootout if I'd left Boston when this first happened. The Volturi engineered that mob war to get to me."

Hope stood up abruptly, pulling everyone's attention with the brusque movement. "None of this matters. Whether Frankie wants your protection or not, it's too dangerous for you to go looking for trouble in New York."

Constance nodded in agreement. "Yes, darling, she's right. You've managed to stay out of this vampire issue so far, and there's no need for you to involve yourself now. I know we've gathered all this information on these murders, but you are under no obligation to solve them. You shouldn't be exposing yourself to whatever unknown foes lurk in New York, you should be staying here where you are relatively safe."

Maura wanted to argue that of course past events mattered, since her guilt over everything they'd been discussing was what drove her entire motivation, but she recognised that further rumination on the subject would only delay her in leaving. "I don't agree. I need to go to protect Frankie, whether my presence is welcomed or not. I also think that someone will eventually come looking for whoever killed the Volturi. At least if I investigate the vampires in New York I might have a better idea of what's coming. I might also be able to find out more about these rogue vampires. If they are truly adversaries of the Volturi, they might be able to help us."

Hope crossed her arms, not done arguing yet. "And what happens when you encounter a vampire that can set you on fire, or erase your mind, or any number of things that we've never even considered? Every vampire we've encountered other than you has been a monster."

Maura shook her head, resisting the urge to argue over her own monstrousness. "That isn't true. The Cullens seem to be non-violent, and they are enemies of the Volturi. My hope is that the other rogue vampires might also be vegetarians, or at least less violent and destructive than the Volturi. I might be able to find some allies."

Constance took her turn at a compelling argument. "And what happens if one of the Volturi comes here while you're gone? What if they come after Jane?"

Maura flinched at that argument, glancing at Jane who had been remarkably quiet throughout this entire exchange. She was still sitting, and was now staring at nothing, her expression deeply troubled.

Everyone frowned when they realised how withdrawn Jane had been. Constance and Hope looked at each other worriedly, before Constance spoke gently. "Why don't we step out, and you two can discuss this? I hope you'll think about what we've said. We only want you to be safe."

Maura nodded, grateful despite the doubt their words had planted in her. "I'll consider what you've said, but I'm not expecting to change my mind. I should be heading to New York as soon as possible, to start investigating before Frankie gets there."

Both women nodded unhappily, but hugged Maura lovingly and somewhat desperately before leaving without another word. Maura closed the door behind them, needing to brace herself before she started what she expected to be a difficult conversation. Jane didn't usually simmer quietly when she was angry, she usually made it known loudly. This was something else, and Maura didn't expect this to be quick or painless.

Jane didn't move as Maura sat next to her, but the increase in her heart rate gave away her awareness nonetheless. Maura decided to wait patiently for Jane to find the words.

After a few minutes, her patience was rewarded when Jane started to speak softly. "I know I'm not going to change your mind. I can't stop you going."

Maura shook her head slowly. "I need to make sure he's okay."

Jane finally looked up. "I'm glad you'll be with him. He's still new at this detective stuff, he might miss things. He might not see when he's about to get in too deep. He might not ask for help when he needs it."

Maura shrugged. "I'll make sure he doesn't have to ask."

Jane frowned, her voice hitching. "So, who are you going to ask when you need help?"

Maura looked away, knowing she didn't have an answer. Jane continued, her voice gaining strength. "Exactly. Your mothers are right. You're walking into a situation with no backup, no idea what you'll find, no facts on who the players are, and no way out if you get into trouble."

Maura still didn't respond, so Jane barrelled on. "I know you won't approach Frankie now that he's asked you not to, so you'll try to do everything yourself. You'll get yourself killed Maura."

Maura spread her arms, her voice pleading. "What do you want me to say? That I'll stay here and hide? That I'll let Frankie get hurt? Neither of us would forgive me if that happened. There's no guarantee I won't get killed here in Boston tomorrow, Jane. There is no safe place for me anymore. Not while I know so little about who my enemies might be. But I can do something useful while I'm in danger, and that's all I can ask for."

Jane sat forward assertively. "Maybe not. Maybe I can be your backup."

Maura looked at her doubtfully. "Jane, thank you for the offer, but you can't even lift a gun right now. Besides, I wouldn't want you putting yourself in the Volturi's path. You're human, and they don't have the same regard for human life that I do."

Jane met Maura's gaze fiercely. "I don't have to be only human."

Maura frowned at Jane in confusion before leaping off the couch and across the room. "What? Are you suggesting what I think you are?"

Jane stood slowly, her expression the pinnacle of seriousness. "Yes. If you changed me, I could help, I could come with you. We could both protect Frankie. We could both protect everyone. And I could protect you."

Maura let a derisive laugh loose, unable to believe what she was hearing. "You can't possibly be serious. Please tell me this is an ill-timed joke I have failed to understand. Because the suggestion that you would want me to make you a monster is completely ludicrous."

Jane started walking towards Maura slowly. "Hear me out. We go out to the woods somewhere, miles from anyone. You bite me and then bleed me out as much as possible. We wait the three days until I've finished changing. You can even go to New York for that time, to look out for Frankie. Then you teach me how to maintain control, how to hunt, everything that you had to learn the hard way. When I'm ready, we'll go and deal with whatever we find in New York together."

Maura leapt away from Jane as she approached, staying as far away as possible. "No! I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy, much less you! You have a life here Jane, a family! You're going to heal, go back to work, and do what you love to do. You're going to be the terrific aunt to TJ that you've always been. You're going to keep Tommy out of trouble and make sure Frankie becomes a great detective. You're going to find new friends, experience new things, maybe even find someone and have a family of your own someday. You have a spectacular life, Jane, with so much potential, and there is no argument on this earth that would make me take that away from you!"

Jane's voice remained steady as she replied, the apparent calmness setting Maura even more on edge. "My arm may never heal. There's so much nerve damage, and so much metal holding it all together. I may never go back to work. I may never be useful again. If I was a vampire, I could do everything I do as a cop, and more. I love your idea of reforming criminals before the cops get hold of them. With more ideas like that, we could really make a difference!"

Maura was starting to sound hysterical as she continued to back away from Jane. "Even if you don't heal, there are other things you can do to be useful. You have options! If I did this to you, those options would be gone! You'd be trapped in this life, and there would be no going back!"

Jane stopped walking, holding out her hand imploringly instead. "I know I'd find something to do, but realistically I could never do as much as a human as I could as a vampire. We've talked about this possibility before, remember? I said then that I'd change to make sure you weren't alone, and changing to make sure you're safe seems like just as good a reason. You've shown me that despite the drawbacks, it is possible to deal with being a vampire and still be a good person."

Maura flashed over to Jane, grabbing her shirt and baring her teeth in Jane's face. Jane gasped as she found herself held off the ground, millimetres from Maura's darkened eyes, feeling the threatening growl emanating from her friend vibrate through her whole body.

Jane flinched instinctively as Maura started to yell in her face. "I'm not a good person! I keep trying to do good things to prove I'm what I used to be, but it'll never change the truth! I'm a monster! I have desires and instincts that frighten me! They should sure as hell frighten you!"

She desperately needed Jane to understand, and her usual logic had abandoned her. Maura was feeling so much anger and hurt, she couldn't help but shake Jane to emphasise her words as she kept her suspended above the ground. "I hate what I am! And it kills me that you understand me so little, that you would ask me to do this to you too!"

Maura dropped Jane back into the nearest chair, staggering back in shock over what she'd just done. Despite all they'd been through, despite all the temptations and trials, Maura had never revealed her basic nature in such a directed manner at Jane before. Jane had seen her attack a bear, kill her mother, almost attack her when she smelled blood, and rip a vampire's head off, but she'd never actually crossed that line and gotten physical with Jane.

Maura could only stare at Jane's terrified face, realising that she'd gone too far, but also knowing that her point had been made. She could see the understanding dawn in Jane's eyes. She had seen the monster in Maura once, and somehow convinced herself it was gone, or at least caged. Now Jane knew the truth, and comprehended what she'd just asked Maura to do.

Jane gaped for several long moments before straightening in the chair and forcing a stammering sentence past her numb lips. "I…I'm sorry, Maur. I didn't mean…I didn't get it. You're always so put together, I assumed you'd gotten it under control. And I thought you had moved past this…self-hatred. I thought you were okay with what you are, even if it wasn't what you would have chosen. I just wanted to help. I didn't mean to suggest anything you'd gone through was easy, or dismiss how much you've lost."

Maura closed her eyes and sighed, reining in her emotions and returning to her logic now that Jane was finally listening and understanding. "I know, Jane. I know why you asked. But think it through. Even if there was the slightest chance I'd consider doing this to you, it wouldn't help. The only reason I can be around humans and blood now is because of the knowledge I absorbed from Carlisle. He has centuries of knowledge to draw on in order to help me resist my natural instincts. We were told that exsanguination prior to the venom transforming the cells is what allowed me to resist blood, but realistically their test group is too small to know that conclusively. It could be a random chance of biology, personality or some combination of both that allows me to control my thirst. Also I got extremely lucky with the circumstances under which I faced temptation. Until I wasn't lucky, and your mother paid the price."

Maura let that sink in for a moment before continuing. "You might wake up as the most bloodthirsty vampire to ever walk the earth, through nothing more than a genetic quirk we were unaware of. Or you could be able to control your thirst, but have some sort of power that needs to be learned and controlled before you can re-join society. There are just too many variables."

Jane nodded, her jerky movements belying the fear still thrumming through her body. Maura couldn't handle the evidence of the damage she'd just inflicted, and inched closer. "I am somewhat at peace with my own situation. I have accepted it. I've found ways to manage it. But, as you said, I wouldn't have chosen this life if I had another option. My life may not have been perfect, but it was mine, and I understood it, and I would have fought to keep it given the chance. And I miss it."

Jane's body relaxed slightly as Maura spoke soothingly, finally looking Maura in the eye as she finished. Maura could see tears gathering that Jane was desperately trying not to shed. Hoping she wouldn't scare Jane any further, Maura moved to sit next to her. Jane immediately threw her arms around her, pulling her into a hug that was gratefully returned.

Jane held on for several long minutes, softly crying tears she would never admit to shedding if it were anyone else. Maura drew as much comfort from the embrace as she could, realising that this would most likely be the last one for an indeterminate time.

Jane finally pulled away, a wince suggesting that the pain in her arm had compelled her to let go rather than a wish to stop. Maura smiled at the sight of a newly determined Jane, glad to see that she apparently hadn't broken Jane this time.

Jane glanced over at the files on the table meaningfully. "So, I guess since I've failed miserably in convincing you to stay, you'll be leaving today?"

Maura nodded, standing to gather the files and put them away. "Yes, I think that would be best. I'll make you some lunch, then head out. I'll need to stop on the way to hunt, but I should make it to the city by nightfall. That way I'll have plenty of time to check the area Frankie will be working in and see if there is already a vampire presence."

Jane's expression grew more worried, but her voice remained steady. "Please be careful. Take a phone with you, and call me if you find anything. We can look into any leads you send us, and help you out with information."

She got up as quickly as she could, heading out of the room and returning with a handful of guns and ammunition. "Take these too. I know you can knock people down with your pain glare thing, but I'd feel better if you had a more lethal option. In case you run into more Volturi, or those potential allies turn out to be potential threats instead."

Maura nodded, taking the offered weapons and securing them around her person. She was still wearing her black full body outfit, which had lots of pockets and pouches. Both women stilled, realising there wasn't much more to say except goodbye.

Jane lunged over suddenly and hugged Maura fiercely, her breath catching. "Don't trust anyone, okay? Not humans, not vampires, nobody. You come home safe."

Maura wished once again that she could cry, if only to convey to Jane how much it hurt to leave her, despite all her logical arguments about why she had to go. "I'll be careful. I'll only intervene if someone is about to be killed. I'll try to stay out of any fights or cults or turf wars or vampire politics."

Jane chuckled bitterly as she hung on even tighter. "You'd better."


	11. Chapter 11

Hi all!

Cheers as always to my awesome beta JaneyGWF. Also thanks to everyone who has left a review, unfortunately I haven't been able to respond as I usually would, but they have all been read and appreciated. I will hopefully get my normal internet access back soon and will be able to answer you! Enjoy, and as always let me know if there was something you liked!

* * *

Despite Constance's exasperated glare, Jane couldn't stop fidgeting. She'd been cooped up in too many small moving spaces within the last few hours, and she was bursting to walk around under her own steam. The presence of Constance and Hope hadn't made the trip go any faster either, since despite all they'd been through Jane always felt like they were judging her for not helping Maura more. It was entirely possible that she was projecting her own expectations onto them, but she couldn't help it when faced with the two often intimidating mothers.

It had been just over a month since Frankie and Maura had gone to New York. Neither of them had been back to Boston, instead choosing to remain vigilantly on the case, Frankie in an official capacity with the task force and Maura unofficially working behind the scenes. Jane had tried to get both of them to take a break and come home, but they both stubbornly refused, citing a need to stay where the action was.

Maura had been true to her promises, and called Jane as soon as she reached the city. She had shared her planned routes, her scheduled movements, and any findings, which greatly reassured Jane after their emotionally charged farewell.

It felt like a previously undetected barrier had dissolved between the two since Maura's explosive and somewhat terrifying outburst. Jane finally understood Maura's frame of mind better, and could try to respond to her as she is instead of how she used to be. Jane could also see how certain things she'd been doing or saying were unintentionally hurting Maura, including how wrong it had been to even suggest being turned into a vampire for anything less than avoiding certain death.

Maura seemed to be feeling freer after her confession, as if by admitting her self-hatred out loud to Jane she had stripped it of some of the power she'd given it. Jane had no doubt that the underlying guilt that had monopolised Maura's emotions was still there, and always would be, but it no longer seemed to be crippling her sense of self or getting in the way of her trying to live. Although Maura had left, it no longer felt like she had run away, or like she was trying to avoid talking. Maura answered any questions Jane asked, and even offered some insights into her thoughts without prompting.

Both of them felt more at ease with each other, even with the distance between them physically. But as always, the gain of their increased closeness and openness came with baggage from external sources.

Maura's findings had been more frustrating than useful since reaching New York. She had identified vampire trails all over the city, which were so easily detected Jane had worriedly speculated that the vampires may want to be found. Maura had taken her caution to heart, being careful not to track them back to the source directly. Instead, she gathered more information about the direction of the trails, trying to project the paths to a likely destination. She managed to identify twelve different vampire scents, including R1, R3 and R4, the individuals whose trails she had already encountered in Boston at various crime scenes.

After several weeks of speculation, lots of colourful lines on a map and some trigonometry that had made Jane's brain hurt, they had identified seven likely general locations for vampire activity within the city. Two were in Manhattan, the others were spread amongst the boroughs on the mainland. Jane and Maura hadn't worked out what to do with this information yet, since it seemed far too dangerous to simply approach an unfamiliar vampire's lair without warning.

Jane had readily shared any new intelligence Maura discovered with Constance, Hope and Frankie. She felt like she had become the information hub for the entire team, since Maura and Frankie only talked to her, and everyone kept running theories and suspicions past her first.

Constance and Hope had continued to nurture the contacts they had made, obtaining new information on vampire related activities from all around the country, and some overseas locations. There hadn't been any apparent increase in vampire activity worldwide, but there were reports of 'serial murders' in several European countries that looked a lot like hybrid breeding activity. The centre of the European vampire issues appeared to be Italy, but these vampires had been more careful about avoiding groupings of murders, ensuring it was impossible to find a specific city to investigate. They were still waiting on more information, but even if they found something to chase it was hard to think of a way to utilise their knowledge without actually going overseas and investigating personally.

Frankie had been working with the task force, chasing up leads as if they really were after a cult obsessed with vampires. He had begrudgingly called Jane the first day he reached New York, still obviously upset about Maura's involvement but trying hard not to blame Jane. After a few strained conversations, the siblings managed to avoid the issue and return to their usual comradery.

His impression of the officers he worked with was that they were clueless about the true nature of the crimes they were investigating. The only one he suspected of knowing more was the task force leader, Lieutenant Reynolds. She had raised his suspicions when she had referred to a suspect they were following as a leech, rather than a cultist. Frankie had been keeping an eye on her ever since, noticing other little slips that would be meaningless to anyone who didn't know the truth. She didn't seem to be working against the purpose of the task force, which was to stop the murders, but he wasn't going to trust that she didn't have another agenda either.

Jane was worried about him. He still seemed angry, with Maura specifically and vampires generally. She had been trying to come up with something, anything, to help him understand and move on, but she had come up empty. The only reason she understood Maura's actions was that she understood Maura at a deep personal level, and Frankie didn't have that background knowledge. Unless Maura picked up an ability to share her thoughts or something similar, it was likely that Frankie would never understand, and would always resent Maura for his mother's death. That sort of anger wasn't healthy in the long term, and could lead to him doing something impulsive and stupid.

Despite her misgivings, Jane had been relaying all the information gathered by the others in an attempt to help him and make him feel part of the team. Although Frankie couldn't act on the locations they'd found, since it was even more dangerous for humans than it would be for Maura, he could avoid them and lead the task force away from the potential lairs so nobody got hurt. So far he'd been doing well, with Lieutenant Reynolds appreciating his work and insights without suspecting he was steering the investigation or that he knew more than he should.

Things were starting to feel stagnant again, with no sign of when the vampire situation might all be resolved. Hope and Constance had grown impatient, hating that Maura had essentially been forced out of Boston and away from the only three people that cared about her by her own stubbornness and sense of obligation. Jane had therefore agreed to help organise this trip, and had shared one of her ideas for helping Maura with Constance. In turn, the socialite had gone crazy with the idea, blowing it completely past the modest idea Jane had started with, which is how Jane now found herself in New York, in a limousine with Hope and Constance, heading for a five star hotel.

Jane sat up in awe as they pulled up in front of the hotel. Her door was opened as soon as the vehicle stopped, the greeter dressed to the nines and extending his hand to help her out of the car. Jane hesitated, then took the offered hand awkwardly, not quite knowing what to do and instead focussing on trying not to trip over.

Constance and Hope exited the limousine more gracefully, Constance immediately taking charge and issuing orders to the staff. Hope gently took Jane by the elbow, guiding her towards the elevators after Constance. Within minutes Jane found herself in a suite bigger than her apartment, with what looked like several wings. Hope led her to a lavishly decorated room, which to Jane's astonishment was designated as hers, before leaving her in peace to get ready.

Jane looked around the room doubtfully, feeling like she was going to break all of the expensive things she could see just by breathing too loudly. Her bag had been placed on an ornate stand, so she decided to unpack and rest for a while. She settled back on the huge bed, sinking into the mattress, which felt like a fluffy cloud lined with feathers, with a tired sigh.

The journey had obviously tired her out more than she'd realised, because the next thing she knew, Jane was being awoken by someone carefully shaking her shoulder. She groggily blinked her eyes open, finding an amused set of golden eyes hovering over her.

Jane was suddenly awake as she lunged forward and pulled her visitor into a hug. "Maura! You're here!"

Maura hugged Jane just as excitedly, a light chuckle pre-empting her heartfelt response. "It's good to see you! I've missed you, Jane."

Jane held on for a few more seconds before letting go and sitting back, smiling broadly at the sight of her friend finally sitting in front of her. "Yeah, well, I haven't missed you. Not even a bit."

Maura put on a fake hurt expression for a few seconds, but couldn't maintain the pretence. "So, how was the trip?"

Jane rolled her eyes. "Somehow, a private jet and limousine seems a lot more tiring than just driving. I think your mother has a super power of wearing me out."

Maura tilted her head to the side curiously. "Really? Which one?"

Jane thought for a moment. "Both of them! Hope kept asking me all these detailed questions. What's been going on with Maura? What is Maura doing today before coming here? What's Frankie up to today? Ugh. It was like she thought that if she stopped talking we would stop moving. And Constance just kept looking at me with this disapproving look, every time I touched something, or walked, or breathed."

Maura laughed heartily before putting a hand over her mouth and trying to contain her enjoyment of Jane's ordeal. "Well, I appreciate the effort you've gone to just to visit."

Jane smirked mischievously. "Oh, we're not just here to visit. There's a plan. And you're participating."

Maura frowned. "What plan? I didn't think we had any safe plans for investigating any of the…"

Jane put a hand over Maura's mouth to stop the ramble before it started. "Not work plans. You're officially off duty today, got it? Frankie knows, and he's on high alert, so you can have the night off."

Maura raised an eyebrow, waiting for Jane to move her hand before speaking. "And if I refuse this ever-so-congenial offer?"

Jane shrugged. "I don't need threats. I have incentives. If you come along tonight and promise not to try and run off early, you get to put me through the horror of dressing up. In an actual dress."

Maura gasped excitedly, bouncing once on the bed before she managed to contain herself. "Really? You're wearing a dress?"

Jane nodded. "And so are you. We all are, in fact, since we're going somewhere pretty darn fancy."

Maura smiled, but then looked at Jane suspiciously. "Where are we going?"

Jane got up from the bed and started rummaging through her bag, finally finding the invitation she'd carefully packed. "Your mother is holding a benefit to raise funds for several non-profits associated with medical and scientific research. There's an auction, and donations, and speeches. Also there are heaps of big brainy researchers invited, so they can meet and greet Constance's rich friends and convince them to donate lots of money to their causes."

Maura frowned in confusion. "But why are we going to this? I can't be seen there, someone might recognise me and call the police. Plus, this hardly seems like the sort of thing you'd enjoy."

Jane grinned. "Okay, first of all, it's a masque ball. Everyone will be wearing masks and relying on introductions to know who people are. We're running the meet and greet part a bit like speed dating. And we have a great mask for you that will cover your whole face, so there is no chance anyone will recognise you."

Jane grew more serious as she sat back down. "Second, the real reason we set this up is so you could have the chance to meet all these smart people with all this great knowledge, and have a chance to shake their hands. I know how much you love learning new things, and this seemed like a great way to get a lot of great minds in the one room. You can mingle, talk science with some fellow geeks, and learn a whole bunch of new things."

Maura was flabbergasted. "You set this up so I can use my powers on innocent people?"

Jane nodded calmly. "We know that your power doesn't hurt anyone. They don't even know that you've used it. We had no idea that you'd copied my shooting skills, and it saved our lives. You're not going to hurt or inconvenience anyone, but it would give you a chance to enjoy using your new powers for something not life or death serious. What do you say?"

Maura looked torn for a moment, before smiling and grabbing Jane's hands. "Thank you. This is such a thoughtful thing to do, and it must have taken so much effort to put together!"

Jane shrugged, grinning widely as she realised Maura was excited rather than angry. "Constance did most of the work, I just made the suggestion."

Maura smiled at Jane wonderingly. "Really Jane, I'm impressed that you came up with such a creative way to utilise my powers. It's quite an ingenious plan."

Jane crossed her arms in offence. "You say that like you would never expect me to come up with a good idea. I have lots of good ideas. I am a font of good ideas."

Maura jumped up from the bed with an indulgent smile, holding out an arm to Jane as she carefully avoided answering Jane's statement. "Let's go, I want to see what you're wearing!"

Jane allowed herself to be pulled up, graciously letting Maura's needling slide, but moved to her luggage instead of out to the rest of the suite. "There's something we need to do first. I meant to do this a month ago, but we got side-tracked with your mothers and Frankie and New York and everything else. Also, I'm not sure if my hand would have been up to it back then anyway."

Jane turned back around, holding several tools. "It's time."

Maura pulled back with a slight wince. "Time? I don't know, maybe we should wait."

Jane couldn't help the eye roll. "You've had those bullets in your back for months, Maura. You won't be able to wear the dress your mother picked out for you unless we get them out. What's holding you back?"

Maura looked at her feet, her hands wringing together as she sighed. "Frankie. He still doesn't forgive me. I feel like they should stay until he does, and if he never forgives me, then so be it."

Jane stepped forward into Maura's personal space. "Listen to me. Frankie is being emotional, and stubborn, and he wasn't there. He can't understand, because he didn't see how hard you worked to avoid anything bad happening, and he didn't see how destroyed you were after it happened. I was there, I saw those things. And I forgive you."

Maura looked up, seeing the complete truth in Jane's eyes. She nodded, a small smile of thanks finding its way onto her lips.

Jane grinned back in response. "Okay, it's settled. Now lie down on your front."

The removal process was surprisingly simple. Jane managed to carefully prise the cracks in Maura's back open with some custom made heavy-duty retractors, which Hope had assisted her in procuring. She managed to make just enough space to get some narrow pliers around the bullets, and with a quick pull they were out within seconds of each other. Maura let out a gasp as Jane let the edges go and they knitted back together, the seam in her flawless skin repairing itself within seconds. Jane ran a hand over the smooth, granite-like skin, unable to tell where the bullets had been. The only sign Maura had of being in a fight was the bite mark near her shoulder, but that was faint enough to be unnoticeable by casual inspection.

Maura sat up with her eyes closed as she smiled blissfully. Jane could see the relief on her face, confirming her assumption that the bullets had been bothering Maura more than she let on. She couldn't imagine that having two shards of metal stuck in your skin could be comfortable, even without the added meaning attached to them. Maura, however, would never have admitted her discomfort in a million years, instead choosing to suffer in silence as part of her penance.

Jane picked up the bullets and held them out to Maura as her eyes opened. "Do you want to keep these?"

Maura held her hand out, taking the bent pieces of metal and examining them carefully. "No, I don't. I don't need them to remind me of anything, since there's no chance I'll ever forget. You can keep them, or dispose of them, I don't mind."

Jane took them back and went back to her bag, throwing the tools inside and pulling out a plastic bag. "They are going in the first dumpster I see. I don't need the reminder either. I'm considering it all behind us."

Maura nodded happily in agreement. The pair shared a moment of silent reflection, each appreciating the lightness that came from finally moving on.

Maura was the first to move, getting up off the bed and shepherding Jane towards the door. "Come on, I believe I was promised the opportunity to see you in a dress!"

Jane groaned exaggeratedly, but allowed herself to be pushed towards the waiting mothers in the other room with a satisfied smile.


	12. Chapter 12

Hi all!

Apologies for the delay in this chapter, I don't really have a good excuse, I basically just had a holiday from everything for my birthday.

Thanks as always to JaneyGWF for her betaing skills.

Enjoy!

* * *

Jane had been determined to pretend she was enjoying the night, for Maura's sake. What she hadn't anticipated was actually enjoying herself, surprisingly from the moment they started to get ready.

She had walked out to meet Hope and Constance mostly under her own steam, with Maura only prodding lightly to get her to move. They had eagerly embraced Maura, having only exchanged a quick greeting when she first arrived, and then settled in to catch up. Constance had planned the day to give them a few hours before the ball, since she knew they would all be grateful for the time together.

The group had spent a fantastic few hours simply enjoying each other's company, exchanging stories about the past month and getting excited about the coming evening. Hope, Constance and Jane had grown very comfortable with each other over the last month, despite the awkward trip to get here, having spent a lot of evenings together working through Maura's information. Hope and Constance had also been taking Jane to her physical therapy sessions, since Frankie hadn't been able to as originally planned. Maura seemed delighted with the comradery that had developed, and fitted into the dynamic seamlessly.

Jane dreaded the conversation finishing, but all too soon Constance stood and declared that it was time to get dressed for the ball. Jane groaned loudly in protest, but soon found an iron grip on her arm propelling her to her room.

Maura had enquired as to the location of her dress, and Jane had begrudgingly pointed to the closet. Maura zipped over to the waiting garment, opening the doors and pulling the dress out at super speed in her excitement. Jane couldn't help grinning when Maura had gasped in appreciation, the child-like wonder on the super-powered woman extremely endearing.

Jane hadn't really stopped smiling since. Maura's exuberance was contagious, and hadn't dimmed even minutely. Jane had allowed Maura to do her hair and makeup, sitting placidly in a chair while an excitedly chattering blur surrounded her, poking and prodding gently until a masterful and amazingly sophisticated hairdo took shape. When her appearance was considered satisfactory, Maura zipped out of the room, allowing Jane the privacy to put on her dress and shoes.

When Jane walked into the main room, she found three gorgeously dressed companions waiting for her. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought she'd found three goddesses.

They all wore dresses inspired by ancient Greece, all specially tailored to fit its wearer. They started at single gathered points at the shoulders, draping down tastefully while leaving their shoulders and upper back bare. The details on each dress were different, styled to match the characters they were all playing.

Each costume was modelled after one of the Muses, and included a full face mask to symbolise the Muse's character and area of expertise. Constance had explained them all to Jane earlier, going into great detail about the various attributes assigned to each muse and the difficulties associated with historical discontinuities between those attributes. Although her eyes had glazed over about ten minutes into the explanation, Jane had roughly understood what they all meant, at least in the context that was reflected in the actual costumes. Jane could see that Maura immediately understood the meanings without assistance.

Constance's mask was modelled after Calliope, the muse known for accompanying kings and princes, also the protector of heroic poems and art. Her mask was adorned with laurels, which were also woven into the ornamentation on her white dress. Her hair was very straight and business-like which, along with the regal look of her costume, gave the impression that Constance was the leader of their group.

Hope was dressed as Euterpe, discoverer of several musical instruments. Her mask had a flute at the top, acting as part of the structure supporting her straightened hair, and there were several other instruments scattered around her cream coloured dress in the form of brooches. Jane had been confused by Hope's choice, since she wasn't a musical person, but Hope had explained that since they were supposed to be in costumes, she had wanted to be the muse who probably had the least to do with her own life and personality.

Jane had decided to go as Thalia, the protector of comedy. Her mask was styled as the typical laughing dramatic mask, with whimsical adornments all around her azure dress. She had wanted to have a crook as part of her outfit so she could use it to yank boring people out of the ball, similar to how poor performers used to be yanked off stage, but Constance had vetoed the idea immediately.

Constance had chosen the muse Terpsichore for Maura's costume, the inventor of dance, harps and education. Jane had understood that the educational aspect was what had led Constance to choose her, but the costume designer had clearly embraced the more artistic side of the muse when creating the outfit. Maura had a small harp hanging around her waist, with colourful ribbons and bows woven through her jade dress. Maura had her hair curled into a majestic style, swept back stylishly to show off her neck and shoulders. Jane's hair was in a similar style, although hers appeared more dramatic due to the sheer volume of her hair. Jane's costume also included a shawl, so she could cover the scars from all her arm surgeries, which she was still uncomfortable about showing in public.

Constance had chosen their costumes and masks to match, creating a theme for them and for all of her personal guests. There would be five of her rich friends dressed in similar outfits, which Constance had suggested as a way to indicate that they were the right people to talk to if you wanted to secure a donation. In reality, suggesting that all similarly dressed women were potential patrons was also a way to further obscure Maura's identity if there happened to be someone in attendance that knew her.

Maura hadn't yet put on her mask, so Jane could see the beaming smile as she took in Jane's appearance. "Jane! You look stunning! You all do!"

Constance smiled as well, cupping Maura's cheek fondly. "Don't sell yourself short, my darling. You have outshone us all tonight. The Greek gods themselves could not create a more stunning paragon."

Maura looked down in embarrassment, and Constance continued in a less familiar tone. "Or should I say, Charlotte, since that will be your name tonight. I had an alias set up for you that should withstand at least a basic background search, so hopefully nobody will learn your true identity. You are Charlotte Mansfield, who I hired a month ago to be my advisor for this event. 'Charlotte' has already spoken to a lot of the organisations attending tonight, and they all know to talk to you if they want access to my connections and support. This should ensure that plenty of people will meet with you tonight without arousing suspicion, and you can just enjoy the night in peace."

Maura looked like she was trying to find a way to smile harder, but settled for hugging her mother carefully. "Thank you so much, for everything you've done. I'm so glad I still have you in my life."

Hope quietly moved over to Jane, watching the tender moment with a happy yet regretful look. "Thank you for this, Jane. I'm so grateful that you found a way to put a smile back on her face."

Jane realised Hope was still hesitant about her role, and felt the need to reassure her. "We all did this, not just me. She needs you too, you know."

Hope smiled cautiously in reply, so Jane stuck out her arm in a gentlemanly manner. "To the chariots!"

Maura and Constance laughed at the declaration, and happily followed Jane out, with everyone donning their masks before leaving. They made their way to the waiting limousine, with Jane only tripping on her dress twice.

When they arrived at the ball, Jane froze, gaping at the magnitude of the event. She had imagined a small room with less than a hundred guests, but they were standing in front of a massive building adorned with lights and banners, all promoting their event. Cars were pulling up and discharging finely dressed guests all along the street, with a line already forming at the door between velvet ropes. A security guard dressed as a Musketeer was checking names off a long list, with two more Musketeers checking people's purses and bags before letting them inside.

Constance stopped next to Jane, her expression unreadable behind the mask but pride evident in her voice. "Surely you don't think I'd do this halfway? If I organise a ball, I ensure that it will be talked about for years!"

Jane gaped at the woman as she strode towards the door, her arm linked with Hope's. Maura stepped up next to Jane, her cool arm providing an anchor for Jane. "Come on, it won't seem as intimidating inside."

Jane remembered to breathe, and allowed Maura to pull her forwards. "I knew you guys were loaded, but…"

Maura chuckled. "I know. When my mother puts on a benefit, she goes all out."

The four were instantly waved through by the Musketeers, which made the other guests peer after them curiously. Jane realised they had just announced themselves despite the masks, since only Constance would be allowed past without question. Sure enough, as soon as they reached the ballroom, Constance was immediately swamped by guests, all introducing themselves and heaping praise on the distinguished woman.

Maura somehow managed to steer Jane away from the throng, finding a secluded corner to get their bearings. Jane gaped again as she looked around the room, which was decorated like a real ballroom from the 19th century, complete with two gigantic chandeliers. The walls were lined with tables filled with a ridiculous amount of food and drink. Servers dressed in period costumes were circulating through the floor, offering canapes and champagne. A chamber orchestra was playing unobtrusively, the mellow tones echoing through the room and adding to the high class feel. The far side of the room had been set aside for the business side of the night, with small tables arranged carefully to facilitate conversation and the exchange of contact details.

Jane squeezed Maura's hand in excitement. "This is so cool! I finally understand wanting to dress up!"

Maura laughed in reply, her whole being practically vibrating with delight. "Finally! See, it can be enjoyable! Now, what should we do first?"

Jane's eyes zeroed in on the servers offering champagne. "Do you think they have that fancy champagne that costs more than I spend on beer in a year?"

Maura chuckled at Jane's enthusiasm. "I suspect they might. Let's go find out."

They waded into the crowd, with Jane carefully gripping Maura's hand to avoid getting lost. Maura managed to find a waiter remarkably quickly, and turned back to Jane with two glasses.

Jane took the offered glass, sniffing the bubbling liquid appreciatively before lifting the glass. "Here's to a good night!"

Maura clinked her glass, but didn't sip hers. Jane carefully pulled her mask up, sipping the champagne politely before quickly gulping the rest down. "Wow, yep, that's the good stuff."

Maura wordlessly exchanged their glasses and started looking around at the crowd. Jane sipped the second glass at a more mature pace, following Maura's gaze over the other guests.

Nobody had come without some sort of costume. The clothes ranged from standard tuxedos with a black mask to full ball gowns with peacock headpieces, and included everything in between, from many different time periods. Jane was blown away by the amount of money people were flaunting, and she only hoped the night managed to achieve what it was supposed to.

With that in mind, she moved over to nudge Maura towards the meeting tables. "Why don't you go and set up at one of the meet-and-greets? The sooner you start, the more likely you'll get to everyone worth talking to."

Maura looked nervous, but she nodded gracefully. "Are you coming?"

Jane shrugged. "I can if you like, but you know I won't understand anything they talk about."

Maura huffed out a deep breath, apparently gathering her courage. "Okay, I can do this. Why don't you go and eat. Just stay close, and come and rescue me if I get into trouble."

Jane grinned reassuringly. "Always. Okay, have fun!"

Before Maura could procrastinate, Jane replaced her mask, turned and walked away. She glanced back and was happy to see Maura square her shoulders and walk to the tables. She sat down and was joined by another guest before she had finished adjusting her dress. Jane smiled to herself when she saw Maura reach out and shake the man's hand, before starting up an animated conversation.

Jane spent the next hour browsing the various dishes on offer, trying anything that looked edible. Without Maura to explain what everything was, she wasn't game to try anything too exotic looking, but she had discovered that everything she tried was delicious. A few other guests had tried talking to her, but they quickly figured out she couldn't get them any grant money and excused themselves, which was fine with Jane. It allowed her to keep a close eye on Maura, who had talked to five different people so far with no sign of distress.

Constance suddenly appeared at Jane's side, her eyes following Jane's to watch Maura interacting enthusiastically with the woman seated at her table. "How is she doing?"

Jane smiled widely, her expression visible since she hadn't put her mask back on after eating. "I think she's doing great. Nobody has run away screaming, and she's hardly been left alone for more than ten seconds."

Constance squeezed Jane's arm in appreciation. "Good. I thought your idea was going to be successful, and I'm thrilled to be proven correct. You've done a marvellous job of looking after her Jane."

Jane shuffled, not quite knowing how to accept the compliment. "I feel like I could have done more, somehow. I don't know what, but, I dunno, something to make this all easier."

Constance turned Jane to face her more fully. "None of us are perfect. But you, however, have done everything humanly possible to protect everyone you care about. What can be hard to accept in life, is that it is entirely possible to do everything right, with the best of intentions, and still lose. That is not weakness; that is life. The important thing is that you have never let your setbacks defeat you. You keep going, you try again, and you continually attempt to make things better for those you love. I couldn't wish for a better friend for my daughter. Thank you, Jane."

Jane was speechless as the dignified woman pulled her into a firm hug. She returned the embrace numbly, amazed that Constance thought enough of her to bother trying to make her feel better. Constance smiled at her knowingly as she lifted off her mask, moving towards the buffet and her next target for conversation.

Jane felt like she was in a daze as she wandered through the ballroom. She found herself standing next to the orchestra, watching the bows dance gracefully across strings as her mind tried to comprehend what Constance had said, and the inherent meanings behind it. She felt a sense of peace trying to creep into her heart, a sense that maybe she had tried as hard as she could, and maybe there was really nothing she could have done differently. It was a hard concept for her to accept, since she always second guessed every action in an attempt to do better next time, but something about the way Constance had spoken made her almost believe it.

Jane's eyes drifted back to Maura, and found her slouching slightly in her chair, her hands grasping the side of her head. Jane instantaneously tensed, realising something looked off. She quickly pushed through the crowd, making her way to Maura's side in seconds.

Maura hadn't moved, and Jane now realised her eyes were closed. "Maura? Do you need to get out of here? Are you okay?"

Maura immediately reacted, looking up at Jane with an unreadable look in her eyes. Jane decided to act, grabbing Maura's arm and attempting to pull her up. Maura allowed the movement, following behind Jane as she dragged her to a nearby cloakroom.

Jane locked the door and checked for any other entrances, satisfying herself that nobody could overhear them before returning to Maura and pulling both of their masks off. "Maura? What's going on? You look stunned, are you hurt? Was it too much?"

Maura stayed frozen for a few long moments, before her eyes finally focussed on Jane's and a smile spread across her face. "No, it wasn't too much. It was wonderful!"

Jane watched in astonishment as Maura actually jumped for joy, her face the happiest Jane had ever seen it. "Jane! It was amazing! I could feel all their knowledge flowing into me! And then when I talked with them, it bubbled up into my conscious mind, and I could understand everything they talked about instantly!"

Maura started to pace, her hands gesticulating wildly as she grew more excited. "Then after I touched a few people, the information started to link together! I can still feel it happening, my brain is forming logical connections between fields that usually aren't thought to be compatible, but they are!"

Jane wasn't sure exactly what was happening inside her friend, but in the face of Maura's overwhelming exuberance Jane started to feel hopeful that it was a good thing. Maura turned back to Jane, grabbing her hands as she continued to try and explain. "The first man I talked to was a mechatronic engineer. His research is concerned with using visual recognition to enable drones to identify human faces among debris, to be used for search and rescue in dangerous locations. The next man was the lead on a team trying to create bionic replacements for lost limbs. They are mostly focussed on integrating new limbs with the patient's bodies, to transmit sensory data through the patient's own nervous system to the brain, allowing them to move and feel the new limb."

Maura's hands moved to Jane's arms as she grew more excited. "Their research could be combined, in order to create bionic eyes which can actually see and send understandable signals directly to the visual cortex. Those two working together could create working replacement eyes! They could restore people's sight, Jane! And they are both in my head! I know how to do it!"

Jane's mouth fell open in astonishment, but she didn't interrupt Maura. "Jane, if I talk to enough experts, gather enough knowledge, there's no limit to what we could unlock! I could help so many people!"

Jane started to smile, then was promptly squashed against Maura's neck as she was pulled into a crushing hug. "Jane, thank you so much! I would never have thought to do anything like this! I would never have realised that my powers had this potential!"

Jane stumbled slightly as Maura released her, grinning madly. Jane grinned back, pulling Maura in for a more sedate hug. "You're welcome. It sounds amazing. It sounds like you're going to be amazing. And it sounds like you have a lot to do."

Maura nodded and pulled back, her eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "You're right. I need to meet everyone I can tonight, then I need to organise for some of these research centres to interact and start these projects off. Then I need to set up an alias, so I can contribute to their research without revealing who I am."

Jane smiled encouragingly, although she felt a slight pang as she realised Maura had just found a new purpose in life that might not include her. "You'd better go get started then."

Maura looked at Jane, smiling thankfully for another moment, before turning and walking to the door. Jane felt her heart lurch as she watched her go, feeling like a new distance was growing between them that she shouldn't even try to close. She wanted Maura to have a reason to live, that had been the point of the evening, but she hadn't been prepared for the possibility that a meaningful vampire life might not include a human best friend. Her posture slumped as she considered the opportunities in front of Maura, wondrous and limitless, and she knew she couldn't hold her back, no matter how much she might miss her.

Before Maura opened the door, she looked back at Jane knowingly. "You know I couldn't do this without you, right? It wouldn't matter if I knew everything in the world, I'd still need you."

Jane rolled her eyes out of reflex, although the sensation of a weight lifting off her heart told her she had really needed to hear that. "Yeah, yeah, I'm irreplaceable."

Maura tilted her head, and simply looked at Jane, her smile encouraging Jane to believe her. Jane returned the look with a thankful smile, both acknowledging the tender moment but not wanting to spoil it with words.

After a minute though, Jane realised they were wasting time that Maura could be using to talk with other geniuses. "Okay, and we're walking, and we're meeting, and we're wearing our masks…"

Maura chuckled, giving Jane an indulgent smile before pulling her mask back into place and finally leaving the room. Jane laughed as well, following Maura into the ballroom happily, ready to continue the wonderful night which suddenly seemed full of endless possibilities.


	13. Chapter 13

Hi all,

Welcome to the new chapter! Thanks as always to my sassy beta, JaneyGWF!

Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, it really helps with the motivation!

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Maura felt like she was glowing with happiness as she turned away from Jane. She felt like there was finally life again in her body, whereas she had felt that she was merely existing aimlessly since she became a vampire. She basked in the new knowledge that pulsed through her brain, her mind processing furiously and putting theorems together without an end in sight.

Maura knew she would never be able to thank Jane enough for the gift she had given her tonight. Without using her power in such a directed manner with so many genius minds, she might never have realised her own potential. The feeling as all the facts and figures started to coalesce into a greater understanding of the universe had been a transcendent moment, one that eclipsed the experience of drinking human blood in terms of revelatory joy and sensation.

Maura had lived for months with the dread that nothing would ever come close to the memory of drinking human blood from the source. She was afraid that her willpower might weaken, and someday she might give in to her thirst in an attempt to feel that way one more time, despite the horrendous cost. But now, she had found something better to strive for. At the core of her personality, outside of her friends and family, curiosity and knowledge had always been Maura's reason for living, and now they would be again. She could be more than a vigilante, staying in the shadows and avoiding life. She could make a real difference in the world.

Her feelings of relief, purpose and exultation lasted until she stepped into the ballroom and breathed in, a habit formed during her months of constant vigilance. One breath was all it took for Maura's night of exploration and wonder to come to a crashing halt.

She turned back to Jane, pushing her back towards the cloakroom abruptly. Jane tried to keep up, but tripped on her dress at the sudden change of direction, causing Maura to practically pick her back up and carry her through the door.

Jane regained her feet clumsily, her face shocked as she yanked off her mask. "Maura, what just happened?"

Maura ripped off her own mask, her expression worried but controlled. "I can smell a vampire. He's here, in the ballroom. He would know I'm here too, my scent would be all through the room."

Jane gaped for a moment, before her detective instincts kicked in. "Is it someone you've come across before?"

Maura shook her head, frowning regretfully as her thoughts left their blissful academic considerations and focussed on their seemingly inevitable vampire problems. "Okay, we need to find my mothers, and then I need to get you all out of here."

Jane nodded, then scrunched up her face as she started remembering and planning. "I think Constance was near the buffet last time I saw her, and Hope was probably at the far end of the room. You go look for Hope and I'll check the buffet. We'll meet at the front door. I doubt he'll make a move with so many witnesses."

Maura grabbed Jane's arm in a vice grip, her serious tone leaving little room for disagreement. "Not a chance. You aren't leaving my sight until we know what's going on, agreed?"

Jane looked at Maura's hand, considering her options before nodding in agreement. "Okay. Come on, let's find them, fast."

The pair put their masks back on and moved back into the ballroom, Maura releasing Jane's arm but keeping her tucked behind her protectively. Maura could practically hear Jane's eyes rolling at the overprotective gesture, but there was no argument as they moved swiftly through the crowd.

Maura used all of her senses, and quickly found Constance's scent. She spotted her a moment later, in animated conversation with a conservatively dressed man. Maura grabbed Constance's arm, apologising brusquely before yanking her away. Constance sputtered out a protest, but quickly realised the urgency her daughter was displaying and fell silent. Jane quietly explained the situation as they trailed behind Maura, all three of them staying within arm's reach of each other.

Maura couldn't smell, hear or see Hope anywhere, and by the time they had done a complete lap of the ballroom she was on the edge of panic. The trio stopped on the entrance steps, looking out over the crowd helplessly.

Constance scoffed in irritation. "Enough of this. I'll get the staff to assist us. She can't have gone far."

As Constance was about to move off and corner a server, Maura heard a muffled scream from another room. "Wait! I think I hear her. Come on!"

Jane and Constance struggled to keep up as Maura dashed out of the room, barely keeping her speed under control. She burst through the door of an unused studio, lined with mirrors and featuring a beautiful grand piano. The majesty of the room was lost on Maura, however, as her senses focussed on the sight of her biological mother whimpering on the ground, curled up and terrified, surrounded by several unknown vampires. The largest of the group, a youthful looking male with short dark hair, was crouching over Hope's shaking form. The other male, smaller but just as threatening, was frowning in concentration, his eyes fixed on Hope.

Maura let a growl rip from her lips as she launched into the vampire next to Hope, her sudden appearance taking him by surprise and sending him flying awkwardly into the other male. They landed in a heap against the wall, breaking a mirror and sending shards of glass tinkling across the polished floor. Before the two shocked female vampires could react, Maura had managed to pull Hope up off the floor and deposit her into a surprised Jane's arms as she and Constance tumbled into the room.

Maura spun back to the coven facing her, crouching defensively in front of her humans as she took a good look at the unknown vampires. She was surprised to discover that none of them had moved, except for the largest male who had rolled onto his back and appeared to be torn between indignation and laughter. She also noted with shock that they all had yellow eyes, the same colour as hers.

The tense standoff continued for several long moments, broken only by the sound of Hope's whimpering, Jane's frantic attempts at soothing whispering as she tried to comfort the distraught woman, and the rapid breathing from all three humans. Maura considered her options, not liking her chances of getting the others out unhurt if the vampires attacked. She was emotional enough to at least hurt them with her active power, but so far she had only used it on one person at a time. She was facing four potential enemies.

Maura saw the smaller male turn his gaze towards her, and was suddenly swept away with a feeling of calm and peace. She relaxed her stance instinctively, standing upright and looking around at the new faces curiously. The calm feelings suddenly vanished when the strange male vampire frowned and glanced away, his features troubled.

Maura abruptly realised what had happened, and returned to the defensive stance she had held before he used his powers on her. "What are you doing? And what did you do to her?"

The smallest of the females facing her spoke for the group, her tone obviously trying for reconciliatory. "He was only trying to help, I promise. She came in and saw us, then started having a panic attack. Jasper was trying to calm her down, but she started screaming and curled up into a ball. I swear we didn't hurt her. Emmett was trying to see if she was okay, and to make sure she didn't hurt herself."

Maura looked between the two males picking themselves up off the floor, the one called Jasper looking confused and serious while Emmett just looked amused. Maura wasn't sure what to do next, and was torn between trusting them long enough to hear them out or simply turning, grabbing her companions and running as fast as she could.

Fortunately, the tension was broken by the sudden arrival of a familiar face. Carlisle entered the room from a side door with a warm smile, followed by three other vampires. They were all golden eyed, and after glancing around the room they all moved to join the other four, grouping into pairs and watching Maura and the others curiously.

Maura relaxed slightly on seeing Carlisle. She trusted him, since he had helped her immensely once before, however the unknown vampires with him still gave her pause. She didn't understand what they'd done to Hope before she came in, and she had no idea why there were suddenly eight uninvited vampires at her mother's ball.

Carlisle seemed to understand her hesitation and continued to smile as he held out his hands calmly. "We mean you no harm, Maura. This is my family."

He started pointing out people, each nodding to acknowledge their names. "This is Esme, my wife. Then we have Alice and Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett, and Bella and Edward."

Next, Carlisle looked back at his family. "This is Maura Isles, her friend Jane Rizzoli, and her mothers, Constance Isles and Hope Martin."

When he heard the introductions, Emmett nodded appreciatively. "Two moms, huh? That's hot."

Rosalie whacked his shoulder in irritation, and all of the Cullens gave Emmett an exasperated look. He simply shrugged and grinned at Maura, who was still too tense to find any humour in the situation.

Carlisle looked back at Maura, waiting patiently for her to react. She risked a glance over her shoulder, needing to know how Hope was doing and to get Jane's input.

Hope had managed to regain her feet, but she was still breathing heavily, her gaze flitting between all the vampires in the room fearfully. Jane had passed her off to Constance, who was holding up a lot of Hope's weight with a firm arm around her shoulders. Either they hadn't heard Emmett's comment or they were simply too overwhelmed to react. Jane had moved in front of them, taking up a similar defensive position to Maura's, her eyes locked on Emmett in defiant challenge.

Jane met Maura's gaze as soon as it turned towards her, radiating distrust of the situation. She glanced around the room, frowning as she assessed the mood and the likely outcomes, before looking back at Maura and nodding minutely.

Maura let a brief smile of thanks ghost over her lips, before turning back to Carlisle with a serious expression. "Okay, I'm listening. Why are you here?"

Carlisle nodded in thanks, but didn't waste any time before starting his explanation. "As I mentioned last time we met, Alice has the ability to see the future. A person's path will become visible to her when they make a decision that puts them on that path. The future may change when that decision is changed, or when someone else makes a decision that impacts the flow of events."

Carlisle frowned as he continued. "The last vision Alice had was of you. She saw us here, now, at this ball. Then she saw nothing. No future for you, or us, or anyone. Just darkness."

Maura was confused, and a glance at Jane said that she shared the sentiment. "Why would meeting me erase everyone's future?"

Alice stepped forward to answer, her hand not leaving Jasper's. "I don't know! The only time anything like this has happened was when a werewolf or a hybrid was involved, since they tend to block my vision. But usually they only create a blind spot on a person's future when they directly interact with them, and it's only that person that I lose track of. This is a universal blind spot. I can't see anything past this meeting."

Jane stepped up next to Maura, her proximity calming Maura's nerves further. "So what's supposed to happen now?"

Edward spoke up to answer. "According to Alice, we're all supposed to give Maura our powers."

Maura felt her jaw drop as Jane frowned in distrust, her caution coming out in her questioning tone. "Is that even safe? Do you even know if her mind can deal with multiple other powers? Do you know what it might do to her?"

Alice shook her head regretfully. "I don't know what happens afterwards. I just know we give you our powers, willingly. Maybe you can use my power and see something I can't?"

Maura focussed her attention on Alice, trying to figure her out. The power to see the future is an incredible gift, but she could see the anxiety and fear on Alice's face now that the power was gone, or at least not working. Maura had no idea if Alice had always been precognisant, but she could see that losing that ability had greatly unsettled the petite woman. She was grasping tightly to Jasper's hand, her body language skittish and defensive. She was clearly desperate for answers, even if that meant entrusting her powers to someone as relatively unknown as Maura.

The first time she had met Carlisle, she had been in such an emotionally distraught place that she hadn't questioned the circumstances of their meeting particularly closely. However, in the month she had spent tracking vampires around New York, many questions had surfaced in her mind about the vampire world. She knew Alice had sent Carlisle to her based on her visions, but she realised that any of the Cullens could have come to talk to her with the same result. They were all obviously capable of suppressing their thirst and abstaining from human blood, a skill which she had needed to absorb in order to protect Jane and save her from becoming a vampire. However, it was apparent that several members of Carlisle's family had other abilities, and by sending Carlisle alone, Alice had ensured that she couldn't take those abilities. Alice had clearly not trusted her enough to allow it all those months ago, but she was now scared enough to have changed her mind. The threat of the unknown was apparently more frightening than the threat of Maura empowered with all of their abilities.

Another realisation set in as Maura remembered that initial meeting. The reason Carlisle had come to her was to prevent the Volturi from taking her and using her to hunt down vampires like the Cullens. Which meant that whatever Alice was afraid of, it was worse than the possibility of giving her the power to kill them all if she fell into the wrong hands.

Feeling more unsettled the longer she considered the implications of the Cullen clan's visit, Maura decided to clarify the timing of their appearance. "How long ago did you have this vision? I'm curious as to what the decision was that put us on this path."

Alice answered immediately, the time of her vision impairment obviously branded unpleasantly into her memory. "It was three days ago, around midday."

Jane shifted uncomfortably as she responded. "That was when I talked to you about tonight. I told you we were coming to visit, and that you had to take the day off, meet us at the hotel and not argue."

Maura nodded slowly, processing why that tiny interaction could have led them here. "I decided that I would go along with Jane's plan, whatever it was. I increased my patrols for the next few days to ensure the city would be as safe as possible while I was with Jane."

Alice groaned in frustration. "That's all? Nothing more, I don't know, diabolical or dangerous? You just decided to do what she said, and that blinded me?"

Maura shrugged helplessly, while Jane bristled beside her. "Hey, don't blame Maura because your supernatural radar is on the fritz! Maybe it's nothing to do with her! Maybe something else broke your power, and Maura being your last vision is a coincidence!"

Carlisle stepped in before tempers started to fray. "You may be right. We are all dealing with more unknowns than we are used to. And if you have any other course forward than the one Alice's vision has suggested, we are more than willing to listen."

Jane didn't ease off her indignation even slightly as she responded. "Sure I do. You go back to where you came from, we go back to what we were doing, and you call us if you see something we can actually use. Or better yet, find out what's going on with all the hybrids and vampires in this city and do something to stop it, so she doesn't have to do it alone anymore. She doesn't need to risk overloading her brain just to make you feel better about whatever might happen next."

The room stilled after Jane's angry exclamation, with everyone growing grim, including Emmett who had finally stopped smirking. Maura was unsettled by their demeanour, as it seemed like they were a powerful group of vampires with relatively few things that could endanger them. If they were scared, it stood to reason that everyone should be worried. Maybe it would be worth the danger if she could see something Alice couldn't. The rest of the evening had shown that Maura's powers were more than capable of absorbing multiple human brains worth of knowledge, so was it so much of a stretch to think it could cope with multiple powers as well?

After a few moments, the one called Edward spoke up. "Maura, it doesn't sound like you have the same misgivings about using your power that Jane does. What do you think we should do?"

Maura stepped back in surprise, realising that Edward must be the mind reading vampire she had discovered in Carlisle's knowledge many months ago. She glanced at Jane, seeing disapproval and frustration in her eyes, but also encouragement to say what she thought.

Maura glanced back at her mothers, considering all that was at stake and knowing that she considered her own sanity a small price to pay for everyone else's safety, even if Jane would disagree. "I am willing to try."

Jane huffed in consternation, but chose not to comment on Maura's decision. Instead she stepped back to Hope, who seemed to be more in control of her emotions and able to focus on what was going on. Constance still had an arm supporting Hope, but she also looked calmer and more poised than when they had first barrelled into the room after Maura. The three of them looked at Maura supportively, obviously ready to back her up no matter what happened next.

Maura took a deep breath, and held out her hand to the group. "Okay, who wants to go first?"


	14. Chapter 14

Hi all!

Welcome to the next installment! JaneyGWF deserves great thanks for this one, there was a lot of work that went into this to get it just right!

Since I've breached the wall into another fandom here and the last chapter, I should probably do the disclaimer thing, so, obviously, this is just for fun, I don't own any rights to Rizzoli and Isles or Twilight.

Please review, your responses are really encouraging and help me write!

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Predictably, Alice was the first to jump forward, holding out a hand to Maura imploringly. "Please, I need to know if you can see something."

Maura perceived the desperation in Alice's whole body, from her uncertain expression to her skittish movements, and nodded in agreement. She grasped Alice's hand, closing her eyes in concentration. During the ball, she had been pondering what the specialty of the person she was touching was, in order to activate her analytical mind and therefore her powers. Now, she simply allowed her mind to continue to try and figure out what was going on, and why she had somehow gotten embroiled in the Cullen's issues.

Maura braced herself for an onslaught of visions, sensations, memories or a combination of all three, but instead she experienced an ominous silence. She frowned, concentrating on thinking through the causality around the Cullen's arrival at the ball, but nothing seemed to be happening. She wasn't sure if she had failed to copy Alice's power or if it was simply not working for her, but either way they were back where they started.

Maura opened her eyes, meeting Alice's hopeful gaze with a mournful shake of her head before releasing her hand. Alice sagged in defeat, turning back to Jasper and crumpling into his arms.

Maura felt a hand on her elbow, and realised Jane had moved closer to her side. She looked at her friend and gave her a brief smile before speaking. "I'm fine, Jane. Nothing happened. I can't see anything new."

The Cullens shared a disappointed look, with Edward seeming unsurprised and Emmett seeming angry at this turn of events. Jane, Constance and Hope wore ambivalent expressions, apparently happy that Maura was okay but also disappointed that they were still in the dark.

Jasper finished muttering reassurances to Alice, slowly releasing her and stepping towards Maura. "My power is probably the least harmful to try next. It's a subtle power, so you shouldn't feel overwhelmed if it works, but you'll still be able to tell if it's there."

Maura nodded, considering the earlier sequence of events as she held out her hand. "It's something to do with emotions, correct? I could feel you trying to calm my reactions earlier, but it stopped when you looked away."

Jasper nodded. "Yes ma'am. I didn't want the situation to escalate, but when I tried to do the same thing with your mother earlier, it had unexpected consequences, so I realised I should be more careful using it on you in case my power was somehow broken as well."

As Maura touched his hand, still thinking about the situation she saw upon first entering the room, she suddenly experienced a flood of emotion rushing into her from every other person in the vicinity, all blended together and indecipherable. Jasper had been wrong about his power being subtle. It felt like she had been previously unable to feel, and she was now drowning in everyone else's emotions. She gasped and closed her eyes as she tried to make sense of it all. She tried to focus on one person at a time, separating out the flavours of the emotions and making the room more manageable to understand.

Jasper was still holding her hand. Maura could feel him reaching out to her with his power, passing along his balance and serenity as best he could. He was obviously practiced at controlling what he passed on to others, as Maura couldn't feel anything but what he most likely wanted her to, no reflections on how he felt about the current situation, nothing besides calmness and tranquillity. She held on to those feelings, trying to keep a sense of calm as her base as she processed and catalogued the other emotions in the room.

She decided to try and feel out the Cullens, since understanding them and their motives could possibly have great repercussions for those she loved. Since they all knew exactly what Jasper's power entailed, she felt assured that they had given her tacit permission. Based on their appearance, she expected them to be generally uneasy but controlled, with the exception of Alice who hadn't been able to hide her fear.

However, once Maura was able to access their emotions directly, she appreciated how much they were hiding beneath their perfected exteriors. Maura was immediately fascinated by this new ability, as it revealed not just the surface emotions, but the deeper emotions that made up personalities and tied relationships together. She focussed on Bella, who had so far been silent, and wonderingly followed the emotions as she found them twisting through the people in the room.

Bella was the most skittish after Alice, with a feeling of being out of her depth accompanying her more general fear. Maura interpreted her reactions as an indicator of a relatively young vampire, most likely the newest vampire in the room other than herself. Underneath the anxiety, she had an immense pull towards Edward, tinged with want and need, and a lesser but still strong attachment to everyone else in the room. Edward shared Bella's almost obsessively strong love, but was agitated as well, with a defensive edge to his feelings. Both Edward and Bella felt anxious about something unrelated to the people in the room, as if someone they loved was somewhere else doing something dangerous.

The strong attachment could be felt between all the couples in the room, and as Maura followed it she found they all had slightly different 'flavours'. Esme was deferential towards Carlisle, and her feelings towards the group as a whole were motherly and loving. Carlisle's feelings were very similar, with an added edge of protectiveness and a sense of responsibility over all the Cullens. Both had a deep respect and love for each other, with a more mature and long term feel to their relationship.

Maura found Emmett to be cocky and brash, with a great need to continually prove himself to Rosalie, but he was also fiercely devoted to the woman he adored. Rosalie in turn was just as devoted, both to Emmett and the rest of her family, but her attachments were all tinged with a subtle kind of sadness, as if there was a great regret in her past that still tinged all her feelings now.

Alice was difficult to read, as her fear was overwhelmingly loud. It seemed to have permeated her being like a sickness, clouding any other personality traits beneath a cloud of black uncertainty. Maura could understand how determined she must be to understand what was blocking her power, if only to relieve some of the dread that held her hostage. Glancing back at Jasper, Maura could appreciate how determined he must be to help his partner as well, since he would be able to feel just how debilitating her ignorance had become.

Maura pulled back into herself, wanting to see if she could separate herself from the emotions of others. Thankfully, she was able to sense a difference in feelings that had come from outside her own mind, and she immediately felt a flood of relief that was all hers.

Next she decided to try and understand any differences between human and vampire emotions. Since becoming a vampire Maura had experienced a wide spectrum of emotion, mostly negative, and she was quietly afraid that vampires might be unable to feel the way humans do.

The first human Maura found was Constance, whose primary emotion seemed to be concern for those around her. The level of intense emotion from Constance surprised Maura, so much so that she opened her eyes, turning to look at the woman who had raised her. To any outside observer, she looked every inch the distinguished hostess, not a hair out of place, her mask still on, her posture and poise flawless. The only sign of any compassion was the arm still carefully gripping Hope, keeping her securely tied to Constance's side. On the inside, however, she was a mess. She was worried about Hope's health, she was worried that Jane was about to launch into action and get herself killed, and she was terrified that Maura had just somehow destroyed her sanity by allowing the strangers to use her power for their own gain, and she was frantic at the thought that she wouldn't be able to help anyone. Maura could barely feel her mother's underlying sense of propriety and pride in herself, as those traits were being thoroughly crushed beneath her wish to do something, anything, to protect the people she thought of as hers.

Jane suddenly pulled on her shoulder in concern, and Maura realised she'd been staring in wonder at her mother for more than a minute. Maura's met Jane's worried gaze instinctively, her awareness turning to the woman who knew her best as she opened herself up to Jane's emotions. Maura smiled appreciatively as she realised that Jane was the easiest for her to feel and understand, since there wasn't anything she was feeling that wasn't telegraphed on her face for Maura to read already. She could feel how protective Jane was of her. She could feel how much Jane cared about her. She could feel the concern Jane had for Hope and Constance, which simmered underneath the worry she felt for Maura. She could feel Jane trying to decide between allowing this to play out or yanking Maura out of the room and away from danger whether they were finished or not. And she could feel how much Jane needed to be reassured that Maura was okay, because it would break her if she wasn't.

Finding that Jane's emotions were helping her understand how this new power worked, as well as realising that Jane's head was a very comforting place to be, Maura took the time to drift a little deeper into Jane's psyche. She could feel that Jane was letting her in, inviting her to look around and take what she needed, as long as it helped. Maura was astonished when she realised there was no part of Jane focused on self-preservation. Her entire being was constructed around protecting those she loved, with no thought for herself. Maura had always known that this was a trait of Jane's, but she hadn't realised that Jane only ever looked after herself in order to appease others, not because she actually felt the need to survive for her own sake. She would throw herself between danger and someone else every time, and there was nothing anyone could ever say to change that about her. Maura was further shocked when she realised there was no part of Jane that wavered about trusting, protecting or loving Maura. She couldn't help trying to dig deeper, looking for any sign of hesitation or doubt, searching for that one caveat that would eventually see Jane leave her, but she was stunned to find that the evidence was blindingly conclusive. Jane had truly forgiven her for past misdeeds, and was completely clear in her feelings. When Maura looked into Jane's eyes and saw nothing but unconditional friendship and love, it was the plain and honest truth.

Somewhat overwhelmed, Maura pulled away from Jane in wonder, their shared gaze never breaking despite the awestruck expression on Maura's face and the increasingly bemused one on Jane's. Maura blinked and looked away to try to settle her thoughts, which were scattered after the revelations of how much both Constance and Jane really cared. Neither of them hated her, or resented her actions, or wanted anything but to love and support her. Maura struggled to understand how that could be possible, after all the changes she'd been through and all the trauma they'd been subjected to as a result of knowing her, but she couldn't argue with the strength of the conviction she felt from both of them.

Maura looked back at Jane, answering her unsaid questions with a voice full of astonishment. "We're really okay. You honestly…and we…and I…it's all okay Jane, I'm okay, and we're okay."

Jane's eyes widened in surprise, and Maura felt a burst of amazement from Jane at hearing a verbal response to her emotional need for reassurance of Maura's wellbeing. She gave Maura a tentative smile, some of her immediate worry dissipating as she saw the honesty and joy in Maura's face. Maura could feel Jane still holding onto her distrust of the Cullens and of the situation in general, but the fact that Jane was able to let go of some of her hypervigilance just because Maura reassured her spoke volumes about the trust Jane had in Maura.

Concentrating for a moment, Maura tried carefully to show Jane how she felt, wanting to ensure she understood how much her trust and friendship mattered. Nothing happened for a moment, but suddenly Jane gasped and stumbled, with Maura quickly moving to support her as Jane looked at her in stunned confusion. Maura smiled encouragingly, nodding to reassure Jane and get her to be receptive. Jane closed her eyes for a moment, trying to understand what Maura was sharing with her. Maura carefully strengthened the connection, giving Jane access to everything she felt, as deeply as she could go.

Jane frowned for a few seconds before she smiled slowly, a wondering grin that spread from her lips to her entire face, her hands finding their way to Maura's as she opened her eyes. They shared a moment of understanding, for that brief instant in time completely and utterly knowing the other.

Still buoyed from the experience, Maura glanced back at Constance, and realised she hadn't yet touched her biological mother's mind. Maura realised she had been subconsciously avoiding doing so, as she was afraid of what she might find. Their relationship had always been complicated, and the complexity had only increased with the addition of the vampire issue. Hope's reaction to the Cullens had made Maura additionally hesitant to venture into her mind, in case she caused further damage, but she was also afraid of the consequences of discovering Hope's true feelings about her, if they differed from the ones she had outwardly expressed.

Hope was still leaning on Constance, but she had stopped trembling and appeared to be regaining her colour. Maura decided it was worth the risk to see if she could discover anything about Hope's frame of mind, as despite the fear of rejection, Maura felt a strong obligation to help Hope if she could. Somewhat reluctantly, Maura released Jane's hands with a sigh and turned towards her mothers, bracing herself for the worst.

Maura gasped when she isolated Hope's emotions and started to sort through them. Hope was a maelstrom of fear and anxiety, her mind swirling furiously in the presence of so many vampires. Maura couldn't be sure, but she suspected that Hope's mental tormentor was active, giving her hallucinations and scaring her half to death. The power she was using didn't allow Maura to see what Hope was seeing, but she could feel waves of horror and a sense of victimisation pouring out of Hope's head. Maura was astonished that Hope had been able to hold on to her sanity, if this level of terror was what she felt every time the hallucination activated.

Unable to bear the intensity of Hope's torment for long after the emotional rollercoaster she'd already been on this evening, Maura hurried to Constance's side. "Mother, I need you to get Hope away from here. Don't leave the ball, but get her somewhere quiet and give her some water. I'll come and find you when we're finished here."

Constance nodded decisively, immediately lifting Hope into a more upright position and guiding her out the door. Hope gave Maura a thankful smile as she left the room, confirming that Maura had made the right decision to send her away from the source of her continuing torment.

Jane touched Maura's arm again, her face concerned. "Are you still okay? What's going on?"

Maura couldn't quite smile in return, she was still reeling from Hope's anguish. "Yes, I'm alright. Her condition was more overwhelming than I was expecting."

Maura looked at the door her mothers had just left through, and grabbed Jane's hand to emphasise her point. "We have to help her somehow Jane, I don't know how much longer she can go on like this. It must be affecting her health, obviously mentally and emotionally, but also physically. The human body can't take that much fear on a regular basis without serious detrimental effects."

Jane nodded seriously. "Okay, sure, we'll find something. Do you think one of these guys can help?"

Maura glanced at the Cullens, who were talking amongst themselves and trying to give Jane and Maura the appearance of privacy, as impossible as that was in a roomful of vampires. "I don't know. I'm worried about the effect Jasper's power had on her. He was trying to calm her down, but it seems to have done the opposite, ramping up her usual fear response to critical levels. If the same thing happens with other powers, we could end up making things worse for her."

Jane frowned and turned to address Carlisle. "Do you guys have any idea of what happened to Hope? She met a vampire a few years ago who planted a hallucination in her head to scare the hell out of her anytime she thinks about vampires, sound familiar?"

Maura could determine from the confused looks on their faces and from the new wave of unease permeating the room that the answer was no. "Have you ever heard of any vampires who enjoy their victim's fear, or who take particular pleasure in using their powers to torment humans rather than simply feeding on them?"

Carlisle answered with a concerned note in his voice. "That all sounds extremely unusual. No vampire would need extra powers to attack humans. We are all perfectly capable of hunting humans with our basic abilities. It sounds like this individual is targeting people for fun, not for food, which is a very disturbing prospect."

Maura sighed in frustration. "And if none of you have ever heard of something like this, you probably can't help either."

Edward stepped forward, pulling Bella compliantly along with him. "It might not help, but perhaps you can do something with our combined powers that we can't do alone. If you can hear her thoughts as well as feeling her fear, you might be able to figure out a way to help her."

He held out his hand to Maura, offering his power freely. Maura felt Jane grab her arm, trying to dissuade her, the gesture accompanied by a new burst of concern, but Maura knew Edward had a point. If there was any chance she could help Hope, she felt obligated by her conscience to try.

Maura grabbed Edward's hand, bracing for a new wave of sensations. She immediately lost her emotional connection with everyone in the room, which made her flinch at the sensation of loss. In place of the feelings she was just starting to become accustomed to, a wall of sound assaulted her mind. She could hear multiple voices, all speaking as loudly as if they were standing next to her.

Maura closed her eyes and stumbled away from Edward, instinctively slamming her hands over her ears despite knowing the voices she was hearing weren't audible. She felt like she was being swept along in the torrent of silent sound, and she knew she needed to find an anchor.

_'__ShelookstiredIwishthereweremoreshrimphowlonguntiltheauctionMauralistentoIwonderwherehewentdarnthatwaiterwheredidIneedtofindMaurastaycalmlistentotheorchestraisnicetowhenthesensorsseeashadowtheycountthenumberofpixelsandIwonderwhereCharlottewentwedidntgettofinishthereheisIneedtogethimaloneMaura, Maura can you hear me…'_

Flailing around mentally, she managed to hear a familiar voice. '_Maura, be ok, be ok, please be ok, what have they done to you now, stop letting them hurt you, come on, open your eyes, be ok, please'_ Maura realised she had found Jane and grabbed on, focussing all her energy on narrowing her attention to that one voice. '_ok, you stopped wincing, ok, you're taking your hands away, are you ok, should I touch you, that probably won't help'_

Maura almost laughed as she listened to Jane trying not to panic, but restrained herself when she remembered how worried Jane was about her doing all of this. With something to focus on, Maura didn't feel as overwhelmed by the voices, although she could still hear them like an indistinct murmur in the periphery of her mind. She opened her eyes, nodding to Jane reassuringly with a smile. Jane smiled back half-heartedly, and Maura could tell that Jane was just about out of bluster and false confidence, her underlying worry about to break through to the surface. She was almost at the point where anyone could read the fear on her face, not just Maura.

Maura turned back to Edward, frowning in confusion. "I can hear people thinking, but I can't feel you all anymore. Perhaps I can only copy one power at a time?"

The Cullens all looked to Alice, who shrugged helplessly. "I didn't get an instruction manual, I just saw us all giving her our powers. Including Bella, by the way."

Maura looked back at Bella, who looked uncomfortable at the attention as she held out her hand to Maura. "My power isn't as exciting as theirs. I'm a shield, meaning nobody can read my thoughts. It took a while, but I learned how to shield other people too. It works all the time on me, but shielding other people takes concentration."

Edward quickly mentally interjected before Maura made contact with Bella's skin. '_She can also take her shield down with a lot of effort, just in case you ever'_

Maura didn't hear the rest of the sentence, as Edward's power disappeared the moment she touched Bella. Maura felt a sense of relief as she found herself alone in her head again, with no strange emotions or thoughts invading her privacy. She smiled at Jane, who still looked unhappy.

Edward concentrated for a moment before nodding. "I can't hear you anymore. Your thoughts are safe. Jasper can still feel you though, for some reason. We aren't really sure which powers Bella's shield works on. Definitely mine, and several of the Volturi, including Aro's, Alec's, and Jane's."

Maura frowned at the mention of Jane, the Volturi that had taken great pleasure in attempting to ruin her life. With the loss of her power, the last trace of Jane had been erased forever. Maura wasn't sure if the loss of Jane's power was a good thing in the long run, since it had been vitally useful several times, but she didn't regret having the near constant reminder gone.

Carlisle stepped forward to enter the conversation, cuing Edward and Bella to step back with the rest of the family. "So what will you do now, Maura? It appears we are still in the dark as to the future, do you have any thoughts on the matter?"

Maura glanced at Jane, and agreed with the suggestions she was silently conveying with her determined stare. "I don't see any reason to change anything we've been doing. We've been trying to look into the vampire activity in New York, while trying to keep as many humans safe as possible. Would you consider helping me?"

Carlisle looked surprised at the question. He was about to answer when the door burst open and Constance bustled into the room, her mask gone and her refined façade starting to crack. "Maura, Jane, please come with me. There is a situation that requires your attention."

Edward tensed and replied in their stead. "Actually I think this might concern all of us."

Maura considered her options for a moment, remembering everything she'd learned about the Cullens in her brief experience with their powers. They were a close knit group that cared deeply about each other, and they obviously cared enough about humans to avoid killing them despite their natural tendencies, just as she did. It seemed plausible that they would be willing to help, even though their usual safety net of Alice's visions was gone.

With a resigned internal sigh, Maura turned back to her mother. "You might as well tell all of us, Edward already knows what you're going to say, and they may be able to help."

Constance pursed her lips in consternation, but spoke as requested. "I've just received a phone call from my contact in the NYPD. Earlier tonight, Frankie's task force went out on a raid of a 'suspected cult stronghold'. It was one of the seven locations we had pinpointed as a vampire meeting place."

Constance's tone grew more compassionate as she looked at Jane. "There have been four confirmed fatalities and multiple reported injuries. My contact also informs me that Frankie is missing. Reading between the lines, I believe he was taken by a vampire."


	15. Chapter 15

Hi all!

Thanks for your patience during the wait for this chapter! Excuses, blah, life, work, friends, blah.

Thanks as always to my beta, JaneyGWF, who really shone in her efforts this chapter!

Please take the time to review, it REALLY helps to motivate me. It is really disheartening to put so much effort into a chapter and receive little interest back, and I honestly do get a lot out of people's feedback, so if you're enjoying the story please take the time.

Enjoy!

* * *

The location was familiar. They had identified it weeks ago, as one of the most visited vampire hotspots in New York. It was a small apartment complex, with six apartments surrounding a shared courtyard. It was away from the city, quiet, unassuming.

Or it would be, if you ignored the crime scene tape, the blinding floodlights and flashing police cars, the hundreds of cops, EMTs, reporters and random citizens milling around, and the overwhelming bustle of radio calls, yelled instructions and rapid fire questions.

Jane stood in the gutter just taking in the scene, trying to understand the flow of activity and put what she was seeing into context. She had been a vital part of scenes just like this hundreds of times, and she knew what to look for. She could tell from the casually walking EMTs that nobody was currently in any medical danger, which could either mean nobody was injured or that they were beyond help. The cops on the tape were low level beat cops mostly concerned with keeping curious onlookers and press outside the perimeter which meant the scene had been active long enough to call for adequate backup and establish containment protocols. She could see at least five unmarked cars parked nearby, which meant the case was high profile enough to warrant detectives plus some brass on site. And there was one SWAT van parked closest to the building, blocked in by the rest of the official vehicles, which meant it wasn't here in response to the incident, it was a part of the initial action. Frankie's task force.

Confident in her assessment of the human side of the state of play, Jane glanced sceptically at her companion. Bella Cullen stood in Jane's shadow, looking at the crime scene with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. She immediately fixed her expression when she noticed Jane's scrutiny, schooling her face into a disinterested scowl and standing up straight, but her demeanour had already elicited an obligatory eye roll from Jane.

As soon as Jane had heard about Frankie being taken, she had insisted on going to the scene and finding out what happened directly from the source. Despite the Cullen's ability to read people's emotions and thoughts, she contended that only a cop could get to the crux of the events and tell them everything they would need to know in order to find Frankie. Everyone had agreed in principle, but the details had caused quite a few arguments on route.

Despite Jane's protests, Maura had asserted that one of the Cullens should and would accompany her into the crime scene, in case the police had missed a rogue vampire still lurking around. Bella had volunteered, since her shield power could protect them from any mental attacks long enough to yell for help. Maura still had Bella's shield power, so she could protect the Cullens if necessary, allowing everyone to feel a little more confident despite the continued opacity of the future. Bella would be able to hear the rest of the group from the empty building they had discovered across the street and pass along any comments to Jane. Conversely, Edward would be able to listen to Jane's thoughts, as long as Bella wasn't actively shielding her, and pass along any urgent information to the rest of the group without Jane and Bella having to speak out loud and break their cover. On the surface, it all sounded very reasonable.

However, Jane had been unhappy with her assigned bodyguard from the moment the suggestion was made. Despite being a vampire, possibly hundreds of years old, Bella Cullen acted like a shy and hesitant teenager, and consistently deferred to her husband and the rest of the group. Her behaviour didn't give Jane much confidence that she'd be able to perform under pressure, but she had been overruled by the rest of the Cullens. Maura hadn't been able to argue either, seeming torn between agreeing with Jane and wanting her to have supernatural protection in case something went wrong.

When they had been putting the plan together, Jane's last ditch argument against a partner had been that none of the Cullens would be able to get into the scene since they weren't cops, but Emmett had disappeared for a few minutes before returning with an assortment of badges and IDs. The rest of Jane's arguments didn't leave her mouth, as one imploring look from Maura had been enough to gain Jane's compliance. Jane had experienced first-hand the emotion that had fuelled that look, and couldn't bring herself to cause Maura any unnecessary worry.

Jane squared her shoulders and walked towards the tape, running through the situation to bring herself into the moment. Constance and Hope had been escorted back to the hotel by four of the Cullens, with Alice and Jasper staying with them. Rosalie and Emmett had grabbed a change of clothes for Jane and Maura, with Maura reacquiring her ninja-wear and Jane donning her usual detective outfit, including her badge and gun. She wasn't actually cleared for duty yet, her doctor was supposed to be giving her approval within a few weeks, but she was hoping to get the information she needed before NYPD figured that out. She swaggered as best she could, projecting all the confidence of someone who had every right to be there.

Jane flashed her badge to the officer on the tape, followed by Bella who tried to match Jane's self-assurance and attitude. The officer looked at Bella somewhat doubtfully, but the badge she had presented seemed legitimate and he waved them through. Jane rolled her eyes, thinking a few less than kind thoughts before she remembered Edward was listening in.

Jane glanced at Bella to see her grimacing, before she spoke quietly. "I'm sorry, I'm not very good at this sort of thing."

Jane sighed in exasperation. "It's fine, we got through. I would have thought you'd have had plenty of practice with lying and pretending, I'd guess you would have to move around and take on new identities all the time."

Bella looked at the ground, seemingly embarrassed. "Well, the others have, but I'm actually not much older than I look. I've only been a vampire for a little less than two years."

Jane abruptly stopped, grabbing the young vampire's arm and pulling her around to face her. "Are you kidding me? I thought you knew what you were doing! Ugh, just stay behind me and try not to talk."

Jane released Bella's arm and stalked off towards the officers clustered in the centre of the courtyard, making sure to think a few angry words back at Edward.

As she walked through the scene, Jane's detective eye kicked in and she started noticing curious details. There were at least four piles of ash scattered around the courtyard, all marked with crime scene numbers. She suspected those piles marked the last place four vampires had been standing before they were killed. There were also four pools of blood, which were also numbered. Jane remembered Constance mentioning four fatalities, and from the amount of reddish brown stains on the ground she could guess at the cause of death quite easily. The apartments around the courtyard seemed to be intact except for one, which had a smashed in front window. Her mind started forming scenarios and eliminating possibilities, which she put to the back of her mind as she found the people she needed to talk to.

There were four people in suits conversing animatedly at the centre of the scene. One tall, blonde woman appeared to be getting torn to shreds by her superior officer, a shorter woman with grey hair and a furious expression. The two men standing with them had their arms crossed, their angry glares focussed on the blonde as they watched her cringe under the verbal barrage. The harangued woman appeared to have multiple cuts and bruises on her face and arms, and was favouring her left leg as she swayed slightly on her feet. Based on Frankie's description, Jane guessed that she was Lieutenant Reynolds, the task force leader.

The conversation halted abruptly as Jane reached the group, her brusque demeanour immediately putting them all on the defensive. "Evening. I'm Detective Rizzoli. I'd like to know what the hell happened to my brother."

Lieutenant Reynolds paled and stepped back at Jane's words, a clearly guilty look crossing her face. The other woman in the group glanced at the others, before nodding her head towards the street. "Reynolds, I'll want a full report on my desk in the morning. You'll be notified as to the time and location of the review."

Reynolds nodded glumly as she was left alone with Jane and Bella, the fight apparently leaving her. "I'm Sarah Reynolds, your brother's lieutenant. Come with me, I'll fill you in."

Jane didn't argue, following her away from the bustle of the scene and out into the street, with Bella sticking close behind as instructed. The lieutenant looked around for a moment, apparently only just realising she didn't have a car. Jane sighed and grabbed the lost woman's arm, dragging her into the building across the street where they'd left everyone else.

Bella followed Jane and Reynolds into the building, closing the door behind them. Reynolds glanced backwards at the noise, and finally realised there was a third person accompanying her and Jane. The only warning Jane had of anything wrong was a sharp intake of breath from Reynolds.

Reynolds instantly pulled a gun as soon as she got a good look at Bella, pointing it with shaking hands at the young vampire, who appeared to be frozen in surprise. Jane instinctively stepped in front of the gun, glaring at Reynolds furiously. "Really, you're going to shoot a kid?"

Reynolds practically snarled with rage. "That's not a kid! Look at her eyes! Move!"

Before anyone could respond, a blur sped through the room and Reynolds found herself unarmed and knocked stumbling back. Edward appeared next to a visibly shaken Bella, an arm around her and his face next to hers as he spoke softly. Jane heard discarded bullets hitting the floor, and realised the immediate danger had passed. Feeling a wave of anger build inside her, she lunged forward to grab handfuls of the stunned lieutenant's jacket. "What the hell were you thinking? You were about to kill an innocent girl!"

Reynolds regained her wits quickly, bringing her hands up to loosen Jane's grip angrily. "I was doing my job! You're the one who's been covering up for these monsters! Frankie told me everything! Including how to kill them, which is all we needed to know."

Jane pushed her away furiously, her eyes wide and her muscles straining with rage as she got in the other woman's face. "Really? You didn't think it would be a good idea to know why they were here, what their plans were, what they were going to do when a task force came into their lair and started shooting?"

Reynolds shoved Jane back, her expression defiant but lacking conviction. "We knew they'd been killing people. We knew where they were gathering. We knew they couldn't be talked down. We knew how to stop them. That was enough."

Jane lunged forward to grab her again, but found herself being moved away rapidly by Maura, who had apparently been the one to disarm Reynolds since she was holding the empty gun. "Jane, calm down. Don't do something you'll regret. We need to know the whole story before we can help Frankie."

Jane glared at her friend for a moment without malice, but didn't argue, instead grabbing one of the discarded bullets off the floor. "So you managed to get a supply of incendiaries. Did your whole team know?"

Reynolds sagged at the mention of her team, most of which were heading to the morgue as they spoke. "Yes, they all knew. I wouldn't put them up against vampires without knowing what they were up against."

Jane sighed, practically feeling Maura in her mind encouraging her to approach this calmly. "Take me through the whole thing. Why tonight, why here."

Reynolds sank into a nearby chair, clearly exhausted. "Frankie came to me before lunch a few days ago with the plan for an op. He said he had identified this location as the best opportunity to take the vampires by surprise and take them out without casualties. He'd gotten the plans for the buildings and surroundings, found a few good sniper positions that were out of a vampire's aural range, and scoped out the neighbouring traffic movements to minimise the chances of any innocent casualties. He also said that it needed to be tonight, something about his overseer being occupied."

Jane closed her eyes in exasperation, realising immediately what Frankie had meant. She had called him before talking to Maura about the ball, to make sure he was on shift and could keep an eye on things while his guardian vampire was off duty. He'd deliberately planned this op so Maura couldn't stop him.

Bella had finally recovered enough for Edward to join the conversation, his voice calm and reasonable. "Does that mean it was Frankie's decision that erased the future?"

Jane thought for a few moments, and realised that the timeline probably worked out. "Maybe. So maybe it's nothing to do with Maura at all, it's all about him. Or the vampires killed here tonight. Or maybe it's nothing to do with any of us and it's all a big coincidence."

She turned back to Reynolds, who was looking between the two of them in confusion. "Back to the op. What did you do after Frankie told you his plan?"

Reynolds hesitated for a moment, then continued without argument. "His plan was good, so I approved it. We got a team of six together, everyone from the task force who knew what was really going on. We all agreed to the mission, and to the parameters."

Jane scoffed in disgust. "You mean kill not capture? Not announcing yourselves and giving them a chance to surrender? Those parameters?"

Bella frowned as Reynolds nodded. "How did you know what she meant?"

Jane glanced back towards the crime scene. "There are four piles of dust out there. I know from experience that you can't shoot a vampire if they see you coming. You must have hit them from sniper positions simultaneously to take them all out."

Reynolds nodded glumly. "Correct. We had watched them for hours, we thought there were only four in the complex. We checked with heat guns too, to make sure there weren't any hiding in the apartments. There were only kids in here, no vampires."

Both Jane and Bella's heads snapped up at that statement, with Jane speaking first. "Kids? What kids?"

Reynolds frowned at the memory. "We don't know why, but the vampires had twenty six kids holed up in these six apartments. They were all around five to ten years old, and seemed to be in good health. They were confused when we took them away, but there wasn't anything particularly strange about them. Or at least, not visually. I got a bit of a weird vibe from them, but I'm not sure why."

Jane walked a few steps closer to Reynolds, urgency and seriousness sharpening her tone. "Where did you take them?"

Reynolds looked confused but answered with a questioning tone. "We sent them to social services. They needed to get checked out, then we'll try to find their families."

Jane looked questioningly at Edward, who nodded reassuringly. "I had already picked that out of her mind while you were talking at the scene. That's where the others are, Rosalie and Emmett went to get them. They'll let us know when they have them safe."

Reynolds jumped to her feet. "Wait, they're just kids, what do you vampires want with them?"

Jane huffed in frustration, but Bella answered in a calmer tone than Jane would have managed. "They aren't just kids, they're hybrids. Vampire hybrids. We need to make sure they are okay, and that no humans find out what they are."

Jane stepped towards Reynolds aggressively, recapturing her attention. "You better hope they find them before someone examines them, or we're going to have a huge problem. Now, tell me what happened after you took out the vampires."

The confused lieutenant stammered for a moment, obviously having trouble comprehending all the new information, but managed to answer haltingly. "I'm not sure what happened. We had taken them out, we'd secured the complex, we'd called for backup to come and get the kids. It was about twenty minutes after we'd taken the shots. I was in one of the apartments, talking to the kids. I suddenly heard one of the guys scream, somewhere out in the courtyard. I grabbed my gun and ran outside. I saw two of my guys on the ground bleeding out, another one in the grip of a vampire in a black cloak, and no sign of the rest of the team."

Reynolds rubbed a hand over her face, wincing as she accidentally brushed over the many cuts. "I raised my weapon to fire, but as I was about to pull the trigger the vampire moved. The guy he was holding dropped to the ground, and the last thing I saw was a blur of movement. I think he threw me through the window, because the next thing I knew I was waking up with EMTs talking to me. Four of my guys were dead, one of them was screaming in intense pain as they loaded him into an ambulance, and Frankie was missing."

Jane looked at Edward again, who instantly responded. "It's okay, we realised one of the team was possibly bitten, Carlisle and Esme went to the hospital to get him. We should be covered in terms of exposure. As far as the lieutenant here knows, everyone involved with the real vampire problem was either here as part of the raid tonight, or a superior who has no reason to try to go public with no proof."

Jane nodded thoughtfully, then her face fell as she considered everything Reynolds had said and thought. "So she doesn't know who took Frankie?"

Both Edward and Reynolds shook their heads, Reynolds looking more exhausted and defeated by the second.

Maura stepped next to Jane, gently grasping her elbow in support. "Jane, we did learn something. She saw a vampire in a black cloak. That sounds like a Volturi. Maybe they took him."

Jane's eyes snapped up to meet her friend's worried ones. "Maybe they know we killed Jane and her minions."

Jane glanced back at Edward and Bella, realising they didn't seem surprised. Edward smiled at an overheard thought from Jane. "Alice saw it. We didn't intervene, because it seemed like you two had everything under control. Our presence would have complicated things."

Maura stepped around Jane angrily. "You could have helped! Jane ended up in the hospital because of that confrontation, with her arm nearly permanently disabled. Several officers lost their lives in the confrontation the Volturi started. Now her brother may have been kidnapped because we were forced to defend ourselves alone. You could have stopped all of that!"

Bella looked chagrined, but Edward bristled immediately. "Our presence could have incited the Volturi to come to Boston in force. We could have been putting our family in danger by involving ourselves unnecessarily. There was no path Alice could see that would have ended well if we came to help."

Jane stepped shoulder to shoulder with Maura, her own temper rising at Edward's words. "How convenient. Our future teller didn't see us doing it, so we didn't. Did you ever think maybe you should do something because it's the right thing to do? Or were you so glad to have an excuse not to stand up to the Volturi that you were happy to let us take the hit for you? Maura got thrown through a crane. She still has scars from where Jane tried to bite her arm off. Not to mention that it might have been really helpful for her to have someone to talk to about all of this vampire stuff, before she had to shut down her emotions to deal with the fallout from events which you could have helped us avoid."

Bella uttered a quiet answer, clearly not wanting to get into an argument. "We couldn't risk our daughter's safety."

Jane and Maura stared at her in mute surprise, before Maura replied softly. "You have a daughter?"

Edward hugged Bella into his side and answered proudly. "Yes, we do. Renesmee. She's our biological daughter, conceived when Bella was still human. She was the first hybrid to come to Aro's attention. She's safe for now, in hiding with Jacob, but the reason we're so careful is that we know he wants her. He wants all of us, to be part of his guard. That's why it's too dangerous for us to get involved."

Reynolds chose that moment to try and make a run for the door, pausing the conversation by default. Edward casually flashed in front of her, gripping her arms and holding her off the ground. She kicked her legs pitifully for a few moments before giving up, slumping tiredly in Edward's grasp. He put her back on the ground with a warning look, releasing her and moving back to Bella.

Jane ignored the whole escape attempt and frowned in thought for a few long moments, putting the difference of opinion with the Cullens out of her mind as she sifted through the facts of the night. "Okay. Have you guys met everyone in the Volturi? Would you recognise a scent?"

Bella shrugged helplessly, but Edward nodded. "Bella hasn't been close enough to any of the Volturi to know their individual scents, but I might be able to identify who we're dealing with. I'll be back in a moment."

Edward disappeared for several seconds, presumably to sniff around the scene. When he reappeared, his face was the angriest Jane had yet seen it. "Alec. I recognised his scent right away. He was the last vampire on the scene, and I found his scent mixed with Frankie's leading back towards the city."

He saw Jane and Maura's questioning looks and elaborated. "Alec is the brother of the Volturi you killed. He and Jane acted together as Aro's offensive power. Alec can blind the Volturi's enemies, making it simple for the guard to kill anyone who disagrees with Aro without resistance. It's a mental power, and it wears off as soon as he stops focusing. Bella can shield people from the effects, but anyone else is defenceless. He can use his power on multiple people at once, which makes him potentially more dangerous than Jane was, since she could only use her power on individuals rather than groups, as I'm sure you've experienced."

Jane and Maura glanced knowingly at each other, not wanting to dredge up the painful first hand memories of being at the mercy of that horrible power.

Before anyone had time to process the implications of the new information about Frankie's captor, Reynolds' phone started ringing. She looked at the display, her face falling when she saw the caller.

Before she could answer, Jane snatched it out of her hands, saw it was NYPD calling, and wordlessly accepted the call.

A frantic male voice was heard through the line, his sentences punctuated by violent crashes, screams and gunfire. "_Reynolds! We're under attack! I think it's a vampire, it was moving too fast to see! It smashed through the doors, threw desks around the squad room then trashed the computers!"_

The voice had been loud enough for everyone to hear, including Reynolds who grabbed for the phone. Jane gave her a warning glare, but switched the phone to speaker.

Reynolds gave her a brief look of thanks before speaking, her voice strained but steady. "Brooks, are you alright? Are there casualties?"

An ear-splitting scream ripped from the phone before Brooks answered, the ambient sounds indicating that he was moving. "_Yeah, there's definitely at least three dead, and probably a lot more. The vampire is still here, I can hear something happening in the crime labs."_

A deafening crunch accompanied the sound of breaking glass and screeching steel. "_Oh, god! I think the whole west wing of the building just collapsed! I need to…"_

All three vampires frowned in recognition as a whoosh of speed was heard through the line. Brooks had stopped talking abruptly, and faint choking sounds had replaced his dismayed words.

Reynolds had started crying, and her knees suddenly buckled, with Maura catching her and gently lowering her to the floor. Jane spared her a sympathetic glance, realising how much pain the woman was in. It was clear that she cared deeply about her fellow officers, and her desolation over the night's events left Jane in no doubt about Reynolds' motivations. She had obviously felt like they had no other choice but to attack the vampires, despite the risk to her team.

It was a shame it had ended in disaster.

Jane heard Brooks croak out something, his voice strained and forced, before the call was suddenly dropped. She looked at Maura, realising from the horror on her face that she had been able to make out Brooks' last words.

Maura responded to Jane's unspoken question, glancing at Reynolds in commiseration before speaking. "The vampire was asking him for information. He knew Frankie was from another precinct, and he needed to know which one, so he could finish the job."

Edward interjected angrily. "It was definitely Alec. I think he's trying to eliminate anyone who knows the truth about vampires and erase any evidence."

Maura nodded, her eyes telling Jane that there was more. "Jane, he had Frankie with him. Just before the phone cut off, I heard him yell out in pain."

Jane smiled hesitantly, allowing hope to seep into her voice despite her natural cynicism. "He's alive!"

Maura glanced at Bella and Edward, her expression worried. "Yes, he is now, but Brooks told Alec what he wanted to know. Alec knows where Frankie came from. He knows where _we _come from."

Jane's eyes widened in fear. "Maura we need to go home, now!"


	16. Chapter 16

Hi all!

Apologies once again about the long wait between chapters, work has been crazy!

My thanks as always go to JaneyGWF for all her editing magic.

Please keep reviewing, the encouragement really does help get these chapters to you faster, even if that's hard to believe at the moment!

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Maura fixed yet another concerned look at Jane as she paced in agitation across the rooftop. She had been alternating between pacing and sitting in rigid stillness for the past two hours, and Maura could practically feel the desperation coming off her friend. Maura didn't feel much more emotionally stable herself, but she was better at hiding it as she attempted to remain visibly in control of the situation.

They had left for Boston as soon as they realised where Alec was most likely heading. They had grabbed Reynolds' gun and gathered the incendiary rounds, which along with Jane's sidearm gave them two weapons that could kill Alec. Jane had begrudgingly allowed Maura to carry her in her arms rather than holding herself in a piggy back position, remembering the physical toll of that method and knowing she would need to be fully functional when they reached their destination. Bella had wrapped a blanket around Jane to protect her from the cold of travelling at vampire speed, wishing them luck before Maura started running.

They had reached Boston in record time, with Maura setting Jane down on a rooftop overlooking BPD a little after five in the morning. The building seemed intact and quiet, with no sign of violence or destruction. Maura had disappeared momentarily, reporting no sign of Alec, Frankie or their scents when she reappeared. Both had been put immediately on edge, worried that they had misjudged. They had decided to wait and watch, neither of them wanting to leave BPD unprotected while they aimlessly searched the city with no hint of where Alec might have taken Frankie.

While Maura had kept watch with every enhanced sense at her disposal, Jane had started calling their allies in New York for updates. Constance and Hope were fine, still being watched in their hotel room by Alice and Jasper. They were monitoring the situation with NYPD, reporting several more missing officers and further casualties as the rescue efforts continued. Most of the general staff had been off duty, since the attack had occurred in the middle of the night, but a lot of detectives and crime lab staff had been called in to assist with the aftermath of the raid, and had been caught up in the destruction of the precinct. Constance and Hope had both called in favours with colleagues, ensuring prompt medical assistance and expert rescue operations much faster than would have been otherwise possible.

Esme and Carlisle had managed to retrieve the bitten officer without issue, simply removing him from his hospital room while the nursing staff were occupied with more incoming casualties from the NYPD disaster. They had moved him to a property the Cullens owned well outside the city, and made him as comfortable as possible to endure his transition. There was no way to stop the transformation at this point, so the Cullens had accepted the responsibility of helping him adapt to being a newborn vampire.

Rosalie and Emmett had managed to intercept the hybrid children before they reached a facility and were split up. They had stolen the small bus being used to transport the children, gently ejected the supervising officers from the vehicle, and escaped. After a few hours of inventive driving to lose any pursuit, they had transferred the children to another vehicle obtained by Edward and Bella. They left the city without incident, bringing the hybrids to the property where Esme and Carlisle had already been hard at work organising beds and food. When Jane talked to Bella, it sounded like the Cullen family was run off its feet coping with the circumstances that had fallen into their laps, but they couldn't be happier about their new responsibilities. Rosalie in particular had taken to each and every child now in her care, seeming to think of herself as a surrogate mother to them all, with Emmett and the others fully supporting her. Jane had hung up the phone confident that the Cullens and Maura's mothers had them covered in New York, and that she could focus on getting Frankie back without feeling guilty.

However, Maura had watched that certainty drain out of Jane with every minute that passed without incident. They were both afraid that they had misinterpreted Alec's motives and intentions, and that they were in the wrong place. Maura had been unable to come up with any better ideas, since she was not willing to leave Jane alone and scout the city in case Alec was waiting for just such a mistake, but she could see it was driving Jane past the point of reason to wait. They had debated trying to get BPD evacuated to ensure everyone's safety, but they couldn't think of any way to convince the brass of the gravity of the situation without telling them everything. They had even considered attacking the building themselves to force an evacuation, or at least calling everyone they knew and asking them to stay away, but they were also concerned that anything they said would just draw their friend's attention towards the secrets they were trying to keep. To equal dismay, the best course of action seemed to be waiting and watching.

Jane had started muttering, pacing, pulling at her hair, looking at her phone and looking at the lightening sky since they had commenced their vigil several hours ago, with the intensity of each movement increasing as time passed. Now in the full sunlight, Maura could see the strain on her face in exquisite detail, and she was growing increasingly concerned.

When Jane glared at BPD before turning and aiming a kick at a nearby wall, Maura reached the end of her patience. "Jane, sit down or I'll sit you down."

Jane glared at her in turn, ready to protest, before recognising the seriousness of Maura's tone and obeying. She sank to the ground against the wall she had kicked, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her head on her knees, her posture screaming hopelessness.

Maura moved to sit next to her friend, her heart going out to Jane. "Come on, talk to me. I know you're worried about Frankie, but there's something else too."

Without vampiric hearing, Maura would have missed Jane's reluctantly mumbled confession. "I'm scared."

Maura nodded, even though Jane wasn't looking at her. "What are you scared of?"

Maura waited patiently as the silence dragged out, all too aware of how much this admission had cost her friend and the internal battle she was no doubt waging about sharing her fears, even with her. Maura's patience was rewarded as Jane slowly pulled her face away from her legs, her eyes full of fear and sadness. "I feel like I'm afraid of everything right now. The last time we went up against the Volturi, I nearly lost everything. Ma died. Frankie nearly died. I almost died. You basically did die, in a few different ways. We nearly lost each other. I just…I don't know if I can handle losing anything else. We know what Alec's power is thanks to the Cullens, but we don't know who else he has with him, and we don't know what he wants. If he just wants to cover his tracks, then we might lose a lot of good colleagues and friends. If he knows about how Jane and the other Volturi died, he might be after us, and he might use people we love to get to us. I have no idea what to do, Maura. I can't protect anyone. I'm just a weak human with a gun, and I hate how small and defenceless I feel. This is all too big for me."

Maura pulled Jane into a sideways hug, unable to argue since everything Jane had said was true. She'd been thinking similar thoughts herself, and had been trying not to let Jane see how scared she was.

Maura sighed in resignation. "This is all too big for me too. I always wanted to make a difference, to be useful, but since this all started I've just felt helpless. I feel like an ant on a chessboard. I don't understand the rules, I don't know who is playing, and despite my best efforts I can't do anything to stop a move that takes out a pawn I care about."

Jane pulled away far enough to look at Maura, taken aback by her admission. "So, if we're ants, how do we avoid getting squashed?"

Maura shrugged. "I think we're doing the best we can. We're finding allies, we're researching everything we can, and we're trying to look out for everyone as much as possible. Until someone explains the rules, it's all we can do."

Jane simply sighed, her head lolling back against the wall. Maura looked at her thoughtfully, then smiled faintly. "There was something you once told me about fear. Can you remember what it was?"

Jane raised an eyebrow. "Your memory is better than mine, I'm sure you remember."

Maura shrugged. "I do, but I like to hear you say it."

Jane thought for a long moment, her posture straightening slightly as she spoke with a firmer voice. "We don't give in to fear."

Maura nodded with a smile. "That's right. We don't. We do whatever we have to do to protect others. It's what we do. It's who we are. No matter what our jobs are, or who the bad guys are, we protect people. No matter if they scare us half to death. Or, more to death, in my case."

Before Jane could respond to Maura's odd attempt at humour, an ear-splitting explosion echoed through the air. Maura whipped her head towards BPD, pulling Jane up with her as they rushed to see what had happened.

Fire and smoke were billowing out of several windows on several floors of the precinct. The street outside the building was covered with broken glass and debris from the front wall. It looked as if a bomb had gone off inside the precinct, possibly more than one. Maura was buffeted by a wall of sound as alarms blared, phones rang and people screamed in panic. Dirt covered people started streaming out of the front doors, some of them covered in blood, others apparently uninjured and assisting those less fortunate.

Maura glanced at Jane, assessing the best course of action. "I need to get in there and help, but this is very possibly a trap. He might be after you, or me, or both of us. What do you think we should do?"

Jane's outward hesitation and worry had evaporated as soon as the crisis started, replaced by a cool and collected determination. "I'm coming with you. We stand a better chance if we're together. Keep your mask on, and do what you have to do, we can worry about covering this up when we get everyone out in one piece."

Maura nodded, pulled her mask into place and picked Jane up, jumping down into the street before Jane had a chance to tense up. She took a breath and held it as they fell, not wanting the distraction of resisting her vampiric instincts while they searched for survivors. She placed Jane carefully on her feet and moved quickly into the building, hearing Jane draw a gun before following her carefully.

The ground floor was already clear. It didn't look like there had been an explosion here, but part of the ceiling had collapsed, allowing dust and debris from the first floor to spill into the foyer and cafeteria. Maura gestured to Jane and moved towards the stairwell, not wanting to jump through the hole and risk causing further structural damage when she landed.

They moved quickly through the floors, stopping at each landing to check for survivors. The morning shift had barely started, with the time being just after eight, so fortunately the offices weren't as full as they could have been. Maura efficiently lifted desks, walls and computers off people, silently directing them towards the stairs before moving on. Jane followed closely, her stony expression, clipped voice and drawn weapon giving her colleagues an increased sense of urgency as they moved to safety.

They finally reached the homicide bullpen, both dreading what they would find. As they had feared, homicide seemed to have been a primary target, with the blast patterns in the room suggesting there had been a bomb used in the centre of the bullpen as well as another in BRIC. The computer room was a collection of melted plastic and burned walls, while the bullpen was completely destroyed. There were several bodies around the room, some still sitting at their desks, all burned beyond recognition.

Jane almost dropped her gun at the sight of the room, and her dread as to the identity of the bodies was palpable as Maura turned to face the stricken detective. "Jane, we didn't see Korsak or Nina arrive. There's a good chance neither of them were here. We have to keep moving."

Jane nodded numbly, sparing one more look around the room before backing out and heading for the stairwell. Maura glanced back, a slight smile flitting across her face as her keen eyes picked out a piece of charred but intact blue plastic lying next to what was left of Jane's desk. Hopefully the luck that had spared Guardian Chogokin would spare their friends as well.

They cleared the remaining areas of the building quickly, before heading back downstairs. The only place left to check was the morgue, and then they could try to find a trace of Alec and hopefully chase him down.

Maura's enhanced hearing picked up screams long before they reached the floor, and her pace increased without conscious choice, forcing Jane to run to keep up. Maura barged the door open, finding the floor filled with smoke and water. The automatic sprinklers had gone off, but didn't seem to be accomplishing much against the sheer volume of destruction. Maura stopped breathing again, realising that there would most likely be bleeding humans when they found the source of the screams.

Maura followed her ears, quickly establishing that there were no survivors in the morgue or the offices. It looked like several bombs had been employed in those areas, and the walls had buckled outwards, leaving glass and unrecognisable chunks of debris throughout the corridors. She followed the familiar path to the crime lab, listening for signs of life and glancing worriedly at the ceiling, which was starting to sag.

They approached the labs carefully but quickly, with Maura needing to use her strength to shift several overturned cabinets and a collapsed section of wall to get through. Maura crashed through the buckled door of the crime lab, instantly identifying five survivors in the mess that was left of the room. Susie was crouched under a bench with Nina, and three other lab technicians were similarly bent under other furniture, one of them screaming in pain.

Maura heard Jane gasp in relief as she saw Susie and Nina looking relatively unharmed besides a cut on Susie's forehead, and moved to address the injured lab tech as Jane spoke urgently to the group. "Guys, come on, we've cleared a path."

Susie and Nina moved first, shooting relieved looks at Jane before calling to their colleagues. Maura lifted the injured tech easily, quickly realising that he had a broken leg but no apparent bleeding injuries, and tried to make the manoeuver look clumsier for the benefit of the humans watching. She led the way out of the room, hearing Jane herd the rest of the survivors close behind.

Susie was the first to start asking questions. "Detective Rizzoli, what are you doing here? I thought you were still off duty?"

Jane glanced at Maura warily, well aware that neither of them should officially be here. "I was in the neighbourhood. Korsak asked me to come by, something about a stray puppy."

Nina laughed, a bitter bark that carried very little actual humour. "Lucky us. So who is your ninja friend? Anyone we know?"

Jane kicked at a piece of debris, her answer curt and decisive. "Someone who is helping us get out. That's all you need to know."

Maura looked back in time to see a doubtful look pass between Susie and Nina, but they wisely chose not to argue, instead allowing the other techs to ask about what had happened to the building. Jane started filling them in, leaving out all the secret details, the sound of her voice filling the corridor and lessening the horror of seeing their supposedly safe workplace completely destroyed.

Maura had just stepped into the stairwell when she heard the distinctive sound of vampire speed. She immediately stopped, gesturing for the others to step back.

All heads whipped towards the top of the stairs as they heard the shriek of metal, only to see a section of stairwell being torn from the wall and thrown at them by a cloaked figure. Jane whirled back and lunged through the door they had just come through, pushing Susie and Nina in front of her, while Maura rushed to get the other three techs through the door in time.

The last tech had barely cleared the opening when the mass of metal hit Maura's back, throwing her forcefully into the air over the injured man she'd just gotten to safety. Maura barely remembered not to breathe instinctively as she hit the ground, but managed to maintain control.

Jane swore as she ran to Maura's side, but Maura quickly regained her feet and brushed off Jane's hand. Jane huffed in frustration, giving Maura a searching look. When Maura nodded, Jane's expression hardened and she turned back to the group, ignoring the astonished looks as Maura moved apparently without injury. "Come on, let's go. There's only one other way out of here."

Maura moved to pick up the injured tech once again, but Nina had gotten there first and was already helping him up. Maura allowed it, knowing she couldn't talk to her former colleagues. Firstly, they would recognise her voice and realise who she was, and secondly she didn't know if she had the mental fortitude to resist attacking the humans around her if she breathed and smelled Susie's blood. Her control was already tenuous, and it was only because she had hunted the day before that she had lasted this long. They needed to escape, soon. Once they were out of the building, she could disappear and leave them with their understandable questions unanswered.

Jane was already moving down the corridor towards the morgue, carefully avoiding the jagged pieces of metal and glass littering the floor. Maura was thankful that she was trying so hard not to bleed, but she could hear the sounds of metal moving in the stairwell, and she knew Alec would be at their backs as soon as he got around the wreckage. It seemed clear now that he was after them specifically, as well as wanting to tie up loose ends at BPD.

They quickly reached the morgue and passed through the doorway, with all the humans hesitating at the sight of the ruined room. An explosive had been placed at the centre, and had blown all the tables off their mounts. The roof was sagging down in the middle, with the damaged columns creaking alarmingly. Fires were still sputtering in a few spots, especially in the corner where the chemical storage had been. Maura gently but firmly pushed Nina from behind, knowing they had only seconds before Alec would be upon them.

The group started making their way through the room, with Jane leading. Her gun was still drawn, but most of her attention was on her environment, her eyes flitting between groaning roof segments and jagged uprooted floor sections with caution. The others followed her footsteps carefully but quickly, with nobody wanting to stay in the room longer than necessary.

As they reached the midpoint of the room, Maura heard the creak of metal being thrown aside behind them and knew they had run out of time. "Jane, run!"

Jane instantly reacted, grabbing Nina and pulling her into a mad dash for the exit. The two other techs followed, but Susie hesitated, her head whipping back to look at Maura as she recognised her voice. Maura surged forward, grabbing Susie and pushing her towards the loading dock entrance. Maura could see the questions swimming in Susie's bewildered expression, but she knew there would be no time to answer any of them as she heard Alec enter the room.

Jane had just made it through the loading dock door when she suddenly seemed to lose her sense of direction, skidding clumsily into a wall. Nina and the two techs behind her followed suit, their arms flailing as they tried to figure out where they were. Maura felt Susie tense up and grab onto her instinctively, realising that Alec had just used his power on everyone in the room, however she had been spared the effects thanks to Bella's shield power.

Using the momentary advantage from her immunity to Alec's power, Maura picked up Susie and tried to make it through the door before Alec could react. Unfortunately, the Volturi responded faster than she had hoped. Another shriek of metal was all the warning Maura had before the roof collapsed above her.

Maura pulled Susie underneath her and dived to the ground, frantically throwing out her arms to brace both of them against the impact of the ceiling. She felt something extremely heavy hit her shoulders, but managed to keep her arms locked against the massive force. Susie was screaming, and Maura hoped it was only panic and not further injuries to her favourite criminologist. After what felt like hours, the rumbling, creaking and groaning stopped.

As the cacophony gave way to a deathly silence, Maura suddenly comprehended the horrendous predicament she had managed to find herself in.

First, she was being crushed under tonnes of wreckage, unable to get to Jane and protect her from a violent and possibly vengeful vampire.

Second, Susie was trapped underneath her, gasping in fear and pain, with no idea what was going on.

Third, the challenge that was overloading all of Maura's senses; Susie was still bleeding.


	17. Chapter 17

Hi all!

Sorry about the last few cliffhangers, it's just that sort of feel at the moment with this story! I'll try not to leave you hanging for so long next time!

Thanks as always to JaneyGWF for her betaing and support! And also thanks to everyone who has been reviewing and supporting this story, it really does mean a lot to me when I hear from someone!

I hope you enjoy this latest chapter, please let me know what you think!

* * *

_Don't breathe don't breathe don't breathe don't breathe…_

Maura resolutely focussed her mind on that simple task, knowing that if she caught the scent of Susie's blood, it would be over. Everything in the knowledge she had absorbed from the Cullens told her how close to impossible it was to resist the lure of a bleeding human up close, and that was without the additional burden of being a newborn. As far as she'd come, Maura was still in the first year after becoming a vampire, and the challenge literally in front of her was one she was entirely unprepared for.

However, since failure would mean killing a woman she counted amongst her closest friends before everything had changed, Maura was determined to try with everything she had. Even if the sentiment wasn't returned, Maura still cared about Susie, and she knew it would be unforgivable to hurt her.

Maura opened her eyes, hoping to determine how dire their situation actually was. Unfortunately, the debris from the ceiling of the morgue had completely cut them off from any light sources, leaving even her vampiric eyes utterly blind.

Maura closed her eyes again, finding the total darkness disconcerting. She tried shifting her shoulders slightly, testing the security of the heavy weight above her, but stopped immediately when a fresh shower of rubble moved around them. Maura froze, locking her limbs in position, and resigned herself to wait until they were rescued. She knew that if anyone had survived Alec's attack, Jane would ensure they knew there were survivors in the ruins of the morgue and get rescuers mobilised as fast as possible.

Susie abruptly coughed and groaned, and Maura could feel the small woman shifting underneath the shelter of her stone body. Fortunately it appeared that Susie had fallen directly under Maura, and had avoided having any limbs crushed under the debris. Maura internally sighed in relief, thankful that Susie was intact for now, but she couldn't help wishing that Susie had been knocked unconscious, as it would have made enduring the wait for rescue much less stressful for both of them.

Instead, Susie stilled her body, and coughed again before croaking out a few strained words. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

Maura realised abruptly that Susie had no way to know there was anyone else trapped with her. The complete darkness, combined with Maura's absolute silence and stillness, would mask her presence entirely. Despite her urge to comfort her friend, Maura knew she couldn't risk breathing.

Susie waited for a few moments before starting to move again, her hand briefly brushing along Maura's side as she reached for her phone. After a few moments of shuffling around, Maura heard the power button on Susie's phone being pressed, before Susie let out a startled scream, doubtless surprised to find another person lying over her instead of shapeless wreckage.

Susie apparently dropped her phone in shock before speaking hesitantly. "Dr Isles? Is that you?"

Maura didn't know what to do. She knew Susie had recognised her voice and wanted to answer her, but she couldn't move for fear of burying them both, and she couldn't speak since she couldn't risk breathing, which left her stuck impersonating a statue under a balaclava.

Susie's fingers carefully made their way to the bottom of the mask Maura was wearing, and slowly pulled it up and over her face. The solid mass sitting on top of Maura's head stopped Susie from being able to remove it completely, but Maura could feel that her face was exposed.

Realising that keeping her eyes closed wasn't going to help, Maura reluctantly opened them and looked at Susie apologetically. In the light of the phone, Maura could see that she was braced directly above Susie, her hands and knees taking the full load of the debris, and her face mere inches from Susie's. Maura's eyes immediately flicked to the cut on Susie's forehead, which had almost stopped bleeding, before she resolutely forced her gaze away, staring at the floor under Susie.

Susie frowned at the interaction, holding the phone closer to Maura's face as she peered at her in confusion. "Dr Isles? Maura? Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Maura stayed frozen, unable to speak for fear of what she might do. Instead, she reached within her mind for the lost ability stolen from Jane, in the hope she could put Susie to sleep without having to move. Maura could clearly remember exactly what it had felt like to use that ability, she could practically feel the synapses it had used, but as hard as she tried, she couldn't access the power when she needed it most. Defeated, Maura returned her attention to Susie's presence, resigned to the fact that she was going to have to get out of this without any super powers to help her.

Susie frowned in confusion, before speaking again louder, as if Maura might not have heard her. "Maura? Are you injured? Can you speak?"

Maura decided to risk shaking her head, but as soon as she started to turn her neck, the wreckage moved again, showering Susie with small chunks of concrete and eliciting a small yelp from the harried woman. Maura froze again, a frustrated frown appearing on her face as she contemplated her options.

Susie took a few moments to shine the light around the small space they were trapped in, trying to see what their situation was. She held the phone above her face, squinting in the absence of her glasses, flicking through a few screens before huffing in defeat. "No signal. Hopefully the others are okay and are trying to get us out."

Maura considered how to approach communication, thinking about blinking in Morse code, when she suddenly became aware of Susie's scent. She hadn't inhaled at all, but somehow the smell of blood was slowly pervading her senses. Maura slammed her eyes closed in consternation, realising that the enclosed space was preventing the scent from dissipating, and despite the fact that no air was being drawn into her lungs, it was still drifting through her nasal passages. Despite her caution, Maura was drowning in the aroma of the prey not three inches from her teeth, and she felt her control start to slip.

Maura could feel the heat of Susie's body, the pulse of her heart, the whisper of her laboured breaths, and her vampiric instincts screamed at her to give in. Her mind skittered through memories of how good it felt to taste human blood, how satiated she had felt, how powerful. Maura's mouth crept open, and a small whimper of thirst left her burning throat.

In a last ditch effort of resistance, Maura frantically cast her mind back to the last time she had acted on those instincts. She remembered the sensation of a living being she loved falling lifelessly from her arms. She remembered the look on her best friend's face when the realisation of the act sank in for the first time. She remembered the months of torturous grief and self-hatred, and the complete loss of self that had resulted from her betrayal of everything she believed in.

She remembered the last time Angela had looked at her with love and acceptance, and made herself feel the pain of knowing her own failure to control herself had cost her the chance of ever feeling the warmth of her love again.

With an agonised and strangled scream, Maura ignored the blood lust threatening to overtake her, and her control slammed back into place. She held the image in her mind like a shield, keeping her vampiric self buried and allowing the human to take over once more.

Another cascade of rubble was enough to make her realise she had unthinkingly moved closer to Susie, her mouth open in a predatory snarl, her movements shifting the load above her. Her awareness of her surroundings returned in a rush, making her realise that Susie was pressing against her shoulders in a futile effort to keep her away.

Maura jerked upwards suddenly, her eyes snapping open and finding Susie's fear filled gaze locked onto her. Maura couldn't help her instinctive breath, and despite the increase in the intensity of Susie's scent, Maura didn't waver.

Deciding that she couldn't stay silent, and that her tenuous control could withstand a few moments of speech, Maura spoke as gently as she could. "I'm sorry, Susie. I'm so sorry."

Susie's expression was a confused mix of fear, disgust, confusion and disbelief. She remained in shocked silence for several long moments before speaking in a frightened and incredulous voice. "So it's true? The rumours, the jokes, the conspiracy theories? I defended you! I said it wasn't possible! But they were right?"

Maura frowned in confusion, not having any idea what rumours Susie was referring to. Susie shook her head in disbelief before continuing. "It's the only thing that makes sense. You disappeared, then came back different. You never ate anything. You never went out in daylight. Your autopsies were suddenly perfect, finding evidence in minutes that should have taken hours for a normal medical examiner, even you."

Maura was growing more uneasy the longer Susie talked. The distraction of her instincts was being overpowered by the almost certainty that Susie had figured out her secret. Maura didn't know what to do. Anything she said would probably only confirm any theories Susie had at this point. Instead, she let her protégé continue, hoping against all odds that she'd come to an erroneous conclusion that was far less dangerous than the truth.

Susie continued unforgivingly, the evidence she'd clearly been gathering for months pouring out as the picture became clear. "Then you disappear again, and Detective Rizzoli accuses you of killing her mother, without any good reason as to why. Then the crime rate in this city plummets to the point where we're barely needed anymore, because of some mysterious vigilante, who seems particularly focussed on protecting Detective Rizzoli. Then Frankie is sent to help find a serial killer that turns out to be a vampire cult. And now suddenly you're here, protecting us after someone blows up BPD, dressed like a spy or…something. Not to mention catching the entire roof of the morgue when it fell on me. And saving me. Thanks for that by the way. And now you're also apparently having trouble not biting me."

Maura's winced, but didn't deny anything. Susie looked into Maura's eyes, her expression becoming more sympathetic as she truly saw the struggle Maura was experiencing. "You're a vampire, right? I'm guessing you got turned into one the first time you disappeared, and you tried to keep going on with your life. Then something happened, and Angela got killed. And you've been trying to make things right ever since."

Maura sighed, knowing that her hope that her logical and observant friend had missed the signs had been futile from the start, but needing to try until the end to maintain her secret. "I thought I taught you never to guess."

Susie shrugged with the ghost of a smile. "Well, my new boss isn't as good as you, he lets me get away with it. And it's allowed when I'm right. Don't try to lie, Maura, you were never any good at it."

Maura smiled wanly back, giving up the pretence with no small amount of relief. "No, I never was. And you are correct, about everything. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you, as much as I wanted to. It isn't safe for anyone to know."

Susie nodded slowly. "I wish you'd told me. I might have been able to help somehow."

Maura grimaced, her eyes closing in regret. "I don't think anyone could have helped me. Jane tried, and look where it got her."

Susie frowned in confusion. "So she knew? From the start?"

Maura opened her eyes again, remembering not to nod for fear of causing another collapse. "Yes. She was with me when I was accidentally bitten. She helped me through the transition, and everything that happened afterwards."

Susie frowned more deeply. "And now? I mean she obviously knew who you were today. Does that mean she's okay with everything?"

Maura let out a deep breath, her tone taking on a disbelieving tone. "Somehow, yes. She says she's forgiven me for her mother's death, and we've been working together to protect people."

Susie contemplated Maura for several long moments. "Have you forgiven yourself?"

Maura was shocked at the question. "Of course not! I killed Angela! Whatever other circumstances existed, that fact remains, and I can never forgive myself."

Susie nodded, but continued in a firm tone. "Explain to me what you could have done differently that day to prevent her death."

Maura sighed in resignation. "I could have taken myself out of the situation earlier. I could have made sure I wasn't anywhere near the Rizzolis. I could have hidden away in a forest somewhere nobody would ever be endangered by my existence."

Susie looked puzzled. "So if that was an option, why didn't you?"

A frown seeped into Maura's expression. "I didn't think it was an option at the time. I had been told by the vampire who kidnapped us that I had to go back to my human life and conceal vampire activity, or my loved ones would be harmed."

Susie couldn't quite stop the knowing smile after hearing Maura's reasoning. "So you couldn't actually have stayed away. You were doing everything you could to protect us by staying here. If you'd run, you could have caused more deaths than just Angela's."

Maura closed her eyes in irritation. "I don't know. I'm not even sure if I was actually being watched. For all I know, the other vampire would have just left everyone alone if I'd run."

Susie huffed impatiently. "But for all you know, you were being watched, and that vampire could have followed through on her threat."

Maura couldn't argue the point, meeting Susie's gaze reluctantly. "Okay, yes, I know that with the information I had, I couldn't have risked leaving before Angela was killed. And that vampire was the catalyst for Angela's death, she was there that day, and she forced the circumstances. I resisted her and provoked her, and Angela paid the price."

Susie squinted in confusion. "It doesn't sound like you to provoke someone. Why did you do it?"

Another frown appeared. "I'm still not entirely sure. I think the best way to explain it is in terms of instinct. An unfortunate side effect of my new state is a slew of instinctual urges and imperatives, which sometimes override my old personality. My usual logic was superseded by the overwhelming need to fight back, to resist, and I got swept up in the sensation. The confrontation did actually progress to the point where I had caused her to back down, until Angela walked in unexpectedly."

Susie smiled again. "It sounds to me as if you did everything you could. I don't know all the details, but I do know you. Or at least I knew you before all this happened. You would have done everything in your power to stop yourself. Whatever other instincts you have, I think you still are the same nurturing, caring, empathetic and protective person you always were. I also think Jane is right to have forgiven you."

When Maura didn't respond, Susie continued on unflinchingly. "And I think Angela would have forgiven you too. She loved you, she was proud to be a part of your life, and I think she would have understood that you did the best you could."

Maura still didn't respond, so Susie raised her voice. "Look at what you're doing now! I'm guessing those instincts you mentioned are telling you to kill me right now! And instead, you're holding up a collapsed building to keep me alive! You came here with Jane today to save people! You've been protecting this city for months! Tell me that someone who didn't care would do all of that!"

Maura flinched at the mention of killing Susie, but finally looked at Susie and answered, her voice strained and heavy. "I do care! But doing good things now doesn't make up for the one utterly despicable thing I did in a moment of brainless instinct! I can't ever take that back!"

Susie put a hand on Maura's shoulder. "I know. Jane knows that too. But as horrible as the memory of that act must be, you're using it to guide your actions now."

Maura looked pleadingly at Susie. She wanted to heed what Susie was saying, to let go of the weight of guilt and shame that had sat in her soul for months, but it had never felt right to forgive herself. It didn't feel respectful of Angela's memory, or fit with her own morality. It would never be okay with Maura that someone had died by her hands.

In that moment of doubt, Maura's attention wavered slightly. Her blood lust, which had been shrouded under the emotions brought up by their conversation, reared up and pushed against her control, making Maura wince and let out a strangled cry. Susie shrank away and covered her face as Maura yanked her head as far away as possible, desperately trying to withstand the temptation of the alluring scent surrounding her.

Maura let out another anguished scream, before she looked back at Susie with determination. "No. I can do this. I won't let this happen again. They'll come for you, they'll get you out. I can do this. Angela will be the only one. Never again. I can do this."

Susie lowered her arms, her expression not fearful as expected, but instead respectful, thankful and sympathetic. She sensed that Maura needed another push and finished her argument with authority, her voice strong and certain despite Maura's display of weakness. "You _can_ do this. I've known you for years, Maura. I know how you think. I know the things that drive you. I know how you feel about crime, psychology, violence, punishment, penance, all of it. I've watched you struggle with the knowledge that you might be a killer. I know you would tell the truth, both to others and yourself, no matter what it might cost you. I assume the reason Jane forgave you is because you told her everything, and let her work out how she felt about it. And I'm telling you now, the old human Maura would look at all the information available and tell you she forgives you too. Are you going to do less than your old self would have done?"

Maura gaped at Susie, unable to even start to formulate a reply, when light suddenly burst into the small space. A cloud of dust enveloped the pair, sending Susie into a coughing fit and giving Maura a much appreciated relief from the scent, before a male voice echoed into the rubble. "Susie! Are you okay? Can you hear me?"

Susie smiled in relief, shielding her eyes from the harsh light. "Detective Korsak! Yes, I'm okay!"

More rubble fell away, and Korsak's hand reached into the opening. "We've almost reached you. Just hang in there for a few more minutes!"

Korsak pulled away, the sound of rescuers becoming apparent as they worked to reach their buried criminalist. Susie looked up at Maura, who still looked flabbergasted at Susie's outpouring of support. "Maura, they're almost here. After we get out, will I see you again?"

Maura frowned. "I'm not sure. There's a lot going on. Frankie's missing, and we need to find him. The vampire that trapped us in here has him. I don't know what he wants, but given what happened between me and the vampire involved in Angela's death, there's a high probability that this won't end well for me."

Susie gasped breathily at Maura's confession. "Can I help? Can anyone help? Please, Maura, don't do this alone. You don't have to. Tell me how I can help, please."

Before Maura could answer, a man appeared at the hole, and more rubble fell away. "Miss, we've stabilised the roof temporarily. We need to get you out now. Are you injured?"

Susie frowned at Maura, knowing she wasn't going to involve anyone else whether she needed help or not. She was too stubborn, and too determined to keep everyone out of vampire business. Instead of demanding an answer, Susie reached up and pulled Maura's mask back into place and whispered too softly for the rescue worker to hear. "You better do everything you can to survive this. There are still plenty of people who care about you. I want to see you again, understand?"

Susie gave Maura's shoulder a thankful squeeze, then moved towards the entrance. "I'm not hurt. I'm crawling out."

The rescue worker moved out of the way, allowing Susie to crawl after him. Maura waited until she heard them leave the vicinity, silence reclaiming the destroyed morgue quickly once the humans departed. Once again, Maura found herself alone in the dark.

However, she knew she needed to move. Slowly, Maura shifted towards the hole, allowing the weight above her to settle as gently as possible. Before she had moved a foot towards freedom, the roof above her groaned threateningly, and she made a quick decision.

Engaging every bit of her vampiric speed and strength, Maura burst out of the hole, the rubble collapsing completely behind her. She fought her way through shifting rocks and jutting structural beams, crashing through a half collapsed wall before finding the light and racing towards it. As the building creaked and shuddered around her, Maura flung herself through the opening and out into the sunlight.

Her vampiric eyes quickly ascertained that there were multiple rescuers still in the vicinity, all running away from the sudden collapse of the morgue that she had caused. Susie was looking back fearfully, but she immediately smiled in relief when she saw Maura standing free of the wreck. They shared a brief, sad wave of farewell, before Maura focused on the task ahead of her.

Maura ignored the bustle and noise around her and used her enhanced sense of smell to try and find Jane. She caught the scent as it left the morgue loading dock, and followed it away from the building, ducking out of sight of the humans as she moved.

The scent ended suddenly when it reached the street, and Maura's heart sank when she picked up a new scent overlaying Jane's.

It was a vampire. The same vampire that had been at the crime scene in New York.

She was too late.

Alec had Jane.

Maura followed the trail, running as fast as vampirically possible, hoping desperately that she wasn't too late.


	18. Chapter 18

Hi all!

Your enthusiastic support has paid off, here is the next chapter! Please keep it up, I really appreciate it!

Much thanks as always to JaneyGWF for helping me tweak the chapters into the form you guys see!

Please let me know what you think, I'm sure you'll be thinking something after this one!

* * *

Jane felt her vision return as a great crash echoed behind her. She spun around frantically, realising with dread that the roof of the morgue had just caved in, with Susie and Maura still inside. Nina pushed past her, still shepherding the other technicians out of danger, but Jane lurched back towards the wreckage, uncaring about the ominous creaking and rumbling still coming from the destroyed building.

Jane had just started pulling at the rubble, trying to find a way back in while yelling indiscriminately, when a hand pulled her away. "Jane, stop! There's a rescue team on the way, let them handle it!"

Jane turned and hugged her old partner, glad to see him. "Korsak, you're okay."

Korsak hugged her back, while gently pulling her towards the street. "Of course I am. You're the one who's an injury magnet, I'm just the old man who fills out the paperwork."

Jane grinned for a moment, before turning back to the pile of debris that used to be the morgue. "There are still people in there Korsak, we need to get them out. Now."

Korsak pulled on Jane's arm more firmly. "We know. We managed to get the feed from the corridor cameras near the morgue, and saw you guys trying to get out. There's already a rescue team looking over the plans, working out how to get back in there. They'll use the infrared gun, and they'll find anyone still in there."

Jane grimaced, not knowing whether the gun would actually pick up Maura, given how cold her skin usually was. Knowing there was nothing she could say, Jane resigned herself to the hope that Maura had stayed near Susie and would be rescued at the same time.

As Korsak guided her to a nearby kerb, Jane realised she couldn't stay idle. Alec had obviously been behind them in the morgue, since he had used his power on all of them. It was possible that he wasn't buried in the rubble with Maura, which meant he might come after her. She checked her weapon as casually as possible, relieved to find it still on her belt alongside her additional clip of incendiary rounds. She hoped Maura still had Lieutenant Reynolds' weapon, in case she encountered Alec.

Korsak turned back to say something, instead catching Jane's furtive glance around the nearby rooftops. "Jane? What are you looking for?"

Jane frowned, not seeing anything but also knowing how poor human senses were at detecting vampires if they wanted to stay hidden. "Nothing, Korsak. Let's hurry that rescue along."

Korsak gave her a scrutinising look, clearly not believing her attempt at nonchalance, but chose not to argue, instead heading over to the leader of the rescue efforts. Jane followed, and spent the next ten minutes going over everything she remembered about the condition of the morgue before the roof collapsed.

When the engineer finally sent her away, Korsak was waiting. He handed her a bottle of water, sternly glaring until she started sipping at the cool drink. He kept watching her, and Jane glared back, knowing that she could never hide anything from him.

Eventually she huffed in irritation. "What? Whatever it is, say it!"

Korsak glanced at the door to the morgue, where rescue workers were frantically arranging supports, clearing mess and generally looking busy. "What were you even doing here, Jane? You're supposed to be on leave. You're supposed to be in New York. You're supposed to be staying out of trouble. And yet as soon as there's the first sign of any violence in Boston, here you are, right in the middle of it."

Jane shifted uncomfortably. "I was passing by. I came back last night, I wanted to stop in and visit. Are you saying if you saw BPD in flames, you'd walk on by because you were supposed to be on leave?"

Korsak scoffed. "Of course not! Jane, I heard you yell out Maura's name. She's in there, isn't she?"

Jane stammered to a halt, not realising she'd even said Maura's name out loud. Korsak nodded knowingly at the guilty look on Jane's face. "So, what, you found her and brought her here? Was she turning herself in?"

Jane's eyes flitted around the street, looking anywhere but at Korsak. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Or have you known where she was this entire time, and neither of you had any intention of bringing her in."

Jane put her hands on her hips, her whole being going on the defensive. "Korsak, she doesn't deserve any punishment. It's as resolved as it's going to be. I've let it go, and I really would appreciate it if you would too. As for why…well you'll just have to take my word for it."

Korsak crossed his arms in defiance. "You want me to forget the death of a good woman just because you ask me to? You're going to have to do better than that, Rizzoli! You're harbouring a fugitive!"

Jane threw her hands up. "Of course I don't want you to forget it! But Maura didn't mean to hurt her. It wasn't her fault."

Korsak stepped closer. "That's not for you or me to decide, Jane."

Jane's eyes blazed in anger. "Well it should be for me to decide. She was my mother. My mother, Korsak. And Maura is my best friend. If I can forgive her, surely that should be enough for you."

Korsak stared for several long moments, before breaking the stalemate and walking away a few steps. He looked at the sky, hands in his pockets, before quickly turning and striding back to Jane. "Just tell me this. If I let this go, will it get anyone else hurt? Am I going to find someone else I care about lying in their loved one's arms having just been killed by Maura Isles? Or can you guarantee, 100%, Jane Rizzoli's word, that there is no chance she will ever hurt another person?"

Jane didn't hesitate. "Yes."

Korsak scowled at her, but Jane didn't waver. The battle of wills lasted for what felt like minutes, neither wanting to back down. Finally, Korsak's expression softened, and he stepped back. "Alright, Jane. Have it your way."

Jane breathed a heavy sigh, looking at the ground as she tried to decide whether she had just won or lost. She looked up to find Korsak studying her again.

At her questioning expression, he moved closer and put a comforting hand on her arm. "Are you all right, Jane? Talk to me, let me help."

Jane let her scowl drop, her eyes doing another circuit of the scene before falling back on Korsak's pleading face. "I can't, Korsak. I can't explain any of this. And you can't help, not this time."

Korsak nodded glumly, clearly expecting the answer he'd gotten. "I don't suppose you'll be coming back anytime soon then."

Jane glanced back at BPD, surrounded by emergency workers, rubble and smoke. "I don't think any of us are working here again."

Korsak chuckled bitterly, his eyes trailing over the ruined building. "Well, I was thinking about retiring. I guess this is just the push out the door this old dog needed."

Jane looked at him in dismay, and Korsak waved at her dismissively. "I've been thinking about it for a while. The job just isn't the same. Not since everything with Angela, and the mob, and now this huge crime slump. The place has lost something. Frankie's gone to New York, Maura's gone, Frost is gone, you're gone. I just can't do this alone."

Jane pulled him into a hug, her eyes brimming with tears at the defeat she could hear in his voice. "I'm sorry, Korsak. I never meant to abandon you."

Korsak hugged her right back, his voice choking up too. "I know. It's just what happens when you get old. You pass on your wisdom, and then the young folk go off to do great things with it. And then you retire and go spend some quality time with your dogs."

Korsak pulled away from the hug, grasping Jane's arm in thanks. "I've had a great family here, Jane. And you've been a huge part of that. Go make me proud."

Jane nodded, too choked up to speak, as Korsak turned back to the teams surrounding the morgue. Someone shouted out from the doorway, and everyone started to bustle around the entrance. Jane stepped forward hopefully, suspecting they may have found Susie and Maura.

Before she could take a step however, she suddenly found herself grabbed around the waist. Before she could struggle, she felt her feet leave the ground, and the huge acceleration told her she'd been picked up by a vampire.

She felt her body being slung over his shoulder, and then they were running, the landscape whizzing past at dizzying speed. Jane closed her eyes and grabbed whatever handful of clothing she could to try and stabilise herself, but the motion combined with being held upside down was making her sick.

She managed to endure the sensation without actually throwing up, but by the time the motion ceased, Jane was so dizzy she couldn't even see. She felt her shoulder hit the ground, but couldn't make out any sounds over the roaring in her ears. She lay still in the position she was dropped in, unsure whether she was conscious or not, for several long minutes, hoping that her head would clear eventually.

Jane realised she had at least greyed out when she became aware of someone shaking her awake. She reluctantly opened her eyes, then jerked upright when she realised Frankie was kneeling over her. "Frankie! You're alive!"

Jane lurched up and grabbed him, accidentally pulling him back down to the floor in her disoriented state. He grunted in response, but returned the awkward hug just as enthusiastically.

They pulled apart after a few seconds, Frankie's face grim. "It's good to see you Jane. I kinda thought I might not have the chance again."

Jane nodded brusquely, her elation evaporating as the gravity of the situation struck home. "Where are we?"

Frankie shrugged and looked around. "I think it's a power station or something. I barely saw when he was bringing me here, and there's not much to see in here."

Jane looked around and understood what Frankie meant. They were in the bottom of a massive room, maybe ten stories tall and fifteen metres wide. The walls of the room were made up of vertical metal tubes around two inches across, all joined together, with no gaps to the outside. The walls were completely vertical until they neared the bottom, where the tubes of the front and back walls sloped together but didn't quite meet. The size of the room and the way sound echoed off the metal walls made it feel like an empty cathedral.

What Jane had thought of as the floor was actually a bed of what looked like ash sitting between the sloping tubes where the gap was the smallest, around a metre apart. The space was lit by several floodlights, positioned at doors between the tubes around twenty metres above the ashy floor, giving Jane all the illumination she needed to determine that there were no exits reachable by a human.

Jane looked back at Frankie, who had gotten up to lean against the sloping tube wall. "Where is Alec?"

Frankie shrugged, scuffing a shoe against the wall, the sound echoing eerily around the huge space. "So that's his name. He hasn't talked to me much, except to demand answers. I don't know, he dropped you down here, then jumped back up the top somewhere. I assume there's an exit up there somewhere, but I didn't see it when he brought me in here."

Jane lay back down on the floor, wanting to let her stomach settle before she tried to move. The smell of ash in the air wasn't helping, it made her feel like there wasn't enough oxygen and she could feel its gritty texture all over her skin. She realised she and Frankie were both covered in the unpleasant stuff.

Coughing lightly, Jane turned her eyes back towards the ceiling, almost too high to make out. "So what happened after the raid on the apartments in New York?"

Frankie sighed, his tone clearly suggesting he was expecting to get yelled at. "Look, I'm sorry, I couldn't tell you. I knew you'd try to stop me, or you'd have Maura stop me. And I became a cop to stop murderers, not cover for them."

Jane simply shrugged as best as she could still lying down. "I know you meant well, Frankie. It doesn't matter now."

Frankie frowned in confusion. "So, you're not going to kick my ass?"

Jane felt the chill of the ash start to seep through her jacket and decided to start to get up, still speaking as she moved slowly. "I think the universe is about to kick both our asses, so why give it a head start?"

Jane settled against the nearest tubes, her body feeling slightly less drained, and looked seriously at Frankie. "Remember I once told you about a vampire that can see the future?"

Frankie looked worried as he nodded and crossed his arms. "You said she sent Maura back to Boston, after ma died. She's the reason Maura started doing the vigilante thing."

Jane tucked her jacket around her front and hugged her torso, trying to preserve a bit of heat. "That's the one. Well, as soon as you decided to go all commando on the vampires, her vision of the future just disappeared. All of it. We have no idea what it means, but I doubt it's a good thing."

Frankie looked dumbfounded. "I…I never knew anything like that would happen. I just wanted to stop them from killing people, Jane!"

She nodded. "I know. I can't say I wouldn't have done the same in your position. You don't trust Maura, so you didn't trust me to handle it. Like I said, it's done now."

Frankie huffed in defeat, his bewildered eyes tracking around the room aimlessly. "Jane, I'm sorry. I…"

Jane held out a hand, gesturing for Frankie to join her. When he sat down, she leaned into his side, encouraging him to pull her into a one armed hug. "Don't worry about it now. Let's just focus on trying to get out of this one alive. Maura will come after us as soon as she can, so we have to try and help her take this bastard down. Okay?"

Frankie nodded into her hair, hugging her tighter in thanks.

Jane had wanted to yell at Frankie, to make him regret getting them into this mess, but she was just tired of fighting with everyone. Maybe it was being the remembered experience of being enveloped by Maura's Zen calm for those few minutes, maybe she was getting too old for this, or maybe being around vampires and their big scary world had just taken all the fight out of her, but she just wanted to get out of the way and stay there, with everyone she cared about. She just wanted it to be someone else's turn to fight.

Especially since a quick check of her belt had told her that Alec had taken her gun.

The serene moment was broken when Alec suddenly landed in front of them, sending a cloud of ash flying with the force of his feet hitting the floor. Both Frankie and Jane coughed and sputtered as they scrambled to get up, still holding each other's arms to steady themselves.

Alec looked bored, listlessly throwing down a backpack and an armful of long metal rebar. Jane eyed the jagged metal nervously, worried about the purpose of the sharp looking rods. The backpack had fallen open slightly, revealing several bottles of water and some energy bars. Jane grew uneasy at the implication that Alec intended to keep them here and alive for longer than the next few minutes, since there were very few benevolent implications of that intention.

She hesitated for several long moments, weighing up the risks of provoking him versus the potential gains of understanding what he wanted, and decided to wade in carefully. "It's Alec, right? Of the Volturi?"

In a blink, Alec was right in front of her, his face almost touching hers. Jane flinched reflexively, falling back against the slope ungracefully. Frankie stumbled and almost fell as well, while Alec simply stared blankly at Jane.

After a few moments, he returned to the pile of rebar, separating them out and placing them in groups according to length. Jane stood back up, pulling Frankie with her as she backed away from Alec.

They had barely moved two metres when his flat voice echoed through the space. "You can't escape. Please do not insult me by trying. You are here to facilitate my conversation with Maura Isles, and I will not tolerate any human nonsense."

Jane glared at the cloaked vampire's back. "And what could you possibly want with Maura? She's done nothing to you."

Alec turned to face them, his red eyes gleaming with emotion for the first time since his appearance. "As far as I know, she was the last to see my sister. She was supposed to bring Maura Isles to Aro. Instead, she disappeared along with the two guards sent to protect her. Maura Isles will tell me where she is, or she will die."

Jane's heart sank. The Volturi didn't know they'd killed Jane, but Alec was either about to figure it out or kill them anyway.

Alec glanced meaningfully at the backpack. "My sister may be legendary for her ability to inflict pain, but it has been my pleasure to learn from her over the last few centuries. If I am displeased with anything I hear, I will enjoy demonstrating what I have learned. In fact, given the trouble you have both caused me, I feel justified in showing you a brief glimpse of what lies ahead."

Before Jane could try and formulate a plan, a snarling shape flashed through the air and landed next to Alec. A cloud of ash billowed into the air, obscuring Jane and Frankie's view of what sounded like a furious vampire fist fight. Jane grabbed Frankie and pulled him away, both trying desperately to see what was happening.

Jane had no doubt that Maura had found them, and was terrified of what the metallic squeals they could hear over the solid hits might mean for her friend's wellbeing. "Do you still have your gun?"

Frankie shook his head frantically. "No, and I saw him take yours too. He destroyed them both. We've got nothing to help. She's on her own."

Suddenly the noise stopped. Jane clutched Frankie's arm, anxiously trying to see what the outcome of the fight had been.

Gradually the ash settled. Everything was covered in white, but Jane could see the result of the brief but brutal battle.

She let out a pained gasp, Frankie grabbing her as her knees gave out, the instant she saw what had been done to Maura.

Ten metal spikes were rammed through Maura's body and into the wall. More were wrapped around her arms, hands, legs, feet, and neck, completely immobilising her.

The look of utter agony on Maura's face was more than Jane could bear, and she lunged forward, screaming Maura's name, trying to reach her friend with no thought to the danger.

Before she had taken two steps, Jane found herself lifted by a hand around her neck. She tried to take in a ragged breath, but the crushing fingers around her throat prevented even the slightest gasp. In another moment, she found herself face to face with Maura, whose face was still distended in pain, her mouth open in a silent scream.

Maura opened her eyes, meeting Jane's panicked gaze with a defeated look. Jane tried to reach out for her friend's face, but her body was quickly losing strength and her arms refused to move.

Alec held her in that position for a few long moments, then dropped her without warning to the ground. As Jane lay gasping, Maura let out a whimper, her eyes never leaving Jane.

Alec moved into her line of sight, his face impassive once more. "Maura Isles. I am Alec, of the Volturi. Jane is my sister. You will tell me where she is, or I will torture these two humans and force you to watch."

Jane could only lie on the ground and try to keep breathing as she tried to gather her scattered thoughts and regain some sort of control over the situation, but she kept being absorbed by thoughts of despair, fuelled by a hopeless feeling deep in her gut.

Maura, her dear, damaged and possibly dying best friend, had explained it just that morning. They were insignificant ants on a chessboard. The players had moved the pieces around them, and there was no way of understanding the rules. They were destined to simply watch as the game destroyed their lives as inconsequential collateral damage.

And now, without really knowing why, they were about to be squashed.


	19. Chapter 19

Hi all!

Ok, so I did my best to describe where they are last chapter, but if you want a better visual, google 'coal fired power station boiler' and check out the images. There are a few good ones of the inside of a boiler, it'll hopefully set the scene.

Thanks to JaneyGWF for fitting this edit into her busy life!

Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

* * *

As the pain of her traumatic injuries started to slowly fade, Maura tried to get her mind to engage, to somehow think of a way out of this, but Alec's eyes bored into hers with a fierce hatred that instinctively made her want to cower, making it hard to concentrate. He wanted something very specific, and she knew that she couldn't give it to him. His sister was dead, and she was responsible, along with her very human, very vulnerable best friend. If he discovered their involvement…

Alec moved away for a moment, revealing Jane still lying on the ground gasping where she had been dropped. Their eyes met once again, and Maura realised Jane had abandoned hope just as she had.

It was understandable. Jane had made it clear that she comprehended how helpless a human was against a vampire, at least when the vampire was paying attention. The only way they had ever gotten the upper hand over a hostile vampire was with the element of surprise.

That was why she was in this position. Maura had successfully followed the trail to the Salem Harbor Power Station, a decommissioned coal power plant on the coast of Massachusetts. She had effortlessly traversed the minimal security around the closed site, noting that aside from the guards at the gate there were no employees working. The trail had led into the heart of the plant, to the boiler of one of the coal units. She had moved as quickly and quietly as possible, wanting to catch Alec unaware if at all possible. She still had Lieutenant Reynolds' gun, but she knew in a hand to hand fight that Alec would most likely emerge victorious.

Finally she had heard voices, and realised that Alec had Frankie and Jane inside the boiler. The acoustic properties of the massive space made it impossible to make out what they were saying from outside the door, so Maura removed her mask and carefully stuck her head in, trying to remain silent and undetected.

Almost as soon as her head entered the space, she had heard Alec threatening to torture Jane. Her mind instantly filled with images of the many ways she'd already let Jane down and allowed her to be hurt, twisting the ever present guilt deeper within her. Something inside her snapped, and she found herself launching into empty air, plummeting towards Alec. She had barely been aware of her decision to move, but she had fully committed herself with no recourse.

The instant she hit the floor, Alec was at her throat. Maura barely saw the blows coming, his movements so fast that she could only reel from one impact to the next, stumbling into the sloped wall after only a few seconds of inept combat.

That was when she felt the first crippling lance of pain through her torso. She was too surprised to scream, simply folding around the foreign object that had impaled her without warning. The pain was not the worst she had felt, but it was definitely in her top ten.

It was over quickly after that. She felt more impacts and more stabbing agony as nine other metal rods were jammed into and through her body, anchoring her to the wall in an unbreakable restraint. She felt more metal being twisted around her limbs, but at that point it seemed entirely superfluous.

She was already beaten, helpless, and hopeless.

Returning her attention to the present, Maura looked over at Frankie. He seemed to be covered in ash like the rest of them, but otherwise unharmed. He appeared to still have some fight left in him as he rushed over to Jane, trying to help her get up, but Maura worried that his spirit would only end up causing him more pain if he provoked Alec.

In that moment, Maura found something to focus on. She decided to do everything she could to ensure Alec stayed focused on her, and left the others alone. She wasn't sure if she was already dying, but even if she was it would be okay, as long as Jane and Frankie got out of this alive.

As Frankie managed to get Jane to her feet, both of them looking at Maura with pity and horror in their eyes, Alec regained their attention by kicking a stray piece of metal against the tubes. "Now, are we going to be doing this quickly, or drawn out over several torturous days? It's your choice, Doctor. Tell me where my sister is."

Maura met his gaze with as much sincerity as she could muster. "I don't know. She drew me into a trap involving the Boston mob, we fought, then she disappeared after throwing me into a crane. I haven't seen or heard from her since."

Alec's eyes narrowed, before turning to Jane. "And you? Is this the truth as far as you know? Or do you have something to add, little human?"

Jane took a steadying breath before answering, her eyes continually flicking back to Maura. "No, that's everything I know. We haven't heard from her in months."

Alec nodded briefly, then flashed over to Frankie, dealing him a heavy shove to the torso. Frankie flipped in the air before landing clumsily in the ash, coughing hoarsely. Jane yelled inarticulately and moved to help him, but found herself grabbed by the collar and thrown the other way. Maura jerked against her restraints, but couldn't move more than a few millimetres.

Both humans lay in the ash for several long moments, as Alec moved back in front of Maura, his eyes blazing in anger. "She's lying. You both are. I've spent centuries learning how to discern truth, do you think a human and a newborn would be able to deceive me?"

He stalked over to Frankie, who was still groaning in pain. "You! What do you know of my sister?"

Frankie looked up balefully at the irate vampire, but managed to wheeze out an answer. "Nothing. I never met her. I know she's a psycho who thought it would be fun to kill my mother, but I don't know what happened to her."

Alec gestured towards Maura with a confused expression. "I thought that was her? That was what your sister told the police, that her best friend killed her mother in cold blood."

He turned back to Jane, still looking confused. "Which does beg the question, if your dear friend drained your mother to death right in front of you, why do you care about her now?"

Jane glared back at him defiantly as she regained her feet, starting to inch over to Frankie and ignoring Maura's silent urging to be more diplomatic. "None of your business."

Alec just laughed mockingly. "Hmm, now I'm intrigued. Do you have some sort of agreement for her to turn you? Do you want to be a vampire when you grow up?"

Maura, Frankie and Jane all surprised each other with the conviction behind their simultaneous "NO!"

Alec laughed again, moving aside to let Jane tend to Frankie and get him off the floor. "Do you really dislike being one of us so much? Aren't you having fun?"

Maura scoffed in disgust. "There's nothing fun about any of this. I wish I'd never encountered a vampire. I would do anything in my power to prevent others being subjected to this life."

As soon as she finished speaking, Maura regretted letting that information slip, but she couldn't take it back so continued to frown at Alec. He looked away for a moment, absently brushing some ash off the sleeve of his cloak, before speaking in a more conversational tone. "So, returning to my point, I take it that my sister was somehow involved in your murder of Angela Rizzoli. Care to explain?"

Maura flinched as always at the mention of Angela, especially in front of Frankie. "Your sister cut her throat and forced me to…"

Maura couldn't continue, the hurt look on Frankie's face was too much. Alec whirled back to Maura, looking intrigued by the new information and appearing completely uncaring about the morality of his sister's actions. "So, apparently you managed to anger my sister enough to warrant punishment above and beyond her usual methods. What did you do?"

Maura frowned in feigned ignorance. "I don't know! I did everything she asked, but she still decided to come after my family!"

Alec paced for a moment, looking thoughtful. "Family is important. She knows that. It's why I'm going to so much trouble to find her. She's my only family, did you know that? The Volturi are like a family, it's true, but Jane is my only true relative. She's the only one that understands me, and I her."

Maura could only shake her head in disbelief at the turn this conversation had taken, but Alec didn't pause in his fervent explanation. "Most people don't even try to understand her. They just see the enforcer, the terrifying guard that ensures Aro's will is done. But there is more to Jane than just being a Volturi."

Maura couldn't quite keep the disbelief off her face, which seemed to be all the encouragement Alec needed to go into a rambling rant. "There's more to all of us! All anyone ever sees is the public face, the indomitable black and crimson line of the law. But we all have lives. Jane is one of the world's greatest astronomers! She has an alter ego that has worked at all the major observatories in the world. She is responsible for some of the greatest astronomical discoveries in history! I myself am a scientist. I work with machines, to better the lives of everyone! This power station we're standing in is owned by one of my companies! We're in the process of tearing it down, so we can replace it with a better, more efficient plant! I'm doing my part to make this a better world!"

Alec's mood suddenly shifted, becoming threatening again as he pulled close to Maura's face. "But as well as all that, my sister and I believe in order. We believe that vampires must be controlled, so that we aren't exposed. And people like you, out in the world with no idea of the consequences of your existence, threaten our way of life."

Alec turned away dramatically, allowing Maura a moment to look at Jane, who was standing protectively in front of Frankie. Their eyes met, and wordlessly communicated, with Maura interpreting Jane's thoughts easily. _This guy is insane, we need to get out of here now!_

Unfortunately, Maura still couldn't see a way out. She watched Alec turn his attention towards Jane once again, and felt a jolt of panic. She desperately tried to access her other abilities, hoping for a miracle, but despite her best efforts, they didn't respond.

Alec stepped next to Jane, his expression deadly serious as he pointed at Maura. "Did she kill my sister?"

Jane shook her head emphatically. "No. She didn't."

Maura sagged in relief when he stepped away, his expression thoughtful. "I actually believe you. Doctor Isles here may be innocent after all."

He turned back to Jane menacingly. "Did you kill my sister?"

Jane stared back, but before she could answer, Maura yelled over her. "No! She had nothing to do with this, it was me! I killed your sister! She didn't give me a choice, it was me or her!"

Alec snarled and pushed Jane to the ground, approaching Maura and yelling in her face. "Then you should have let her kill you!"

Moving in a blur, Alec shoved Frankie away from Jane and grabbed her by the left arm, drawing a yelp of pain as his hard fingers dug into the metal below the skin. He pulled her back to Maura, his eyes wild with rage. "Now it's your turn to suffer."

Before Maura could respond, Alec lowered his mouth to Jane's neck and bit down violently. Jane screamed, her eyes widened in agony and her arms flailed in futile resistance against the side of his head.

Maura screamed in despair, her whole body pushing against the restraints that held her back from saving her friend. They still didn't budge, leaving her helpless as he continued to drain the life out of Jane. Frankie bellowed and charged at Alec, but his brutal shoulder charge achieved nothing. He grabbed at Alec's arms, trying to pull him away from Jane, but his pitiful human strength was too little, too late.

Maura realised Jane was about to die. Despite all her best efforts, despite trying to keep Jane away from her life, despite their precautions and justifications, the Volturi had come to take away the one bright spot her life had left. She knew it would end her. She knew that if she lost Jane there would be nothing left of her.

She felt a great desperation overcome her whole consciousness, and she reached for the most repulsive ability she had with the greatest urgency and need she'd ever experienced. She felt an overwhelming hatred for the Volturi, Alec and all vampires fill her being, and somehow it touched the ability she had thought lost.

She screamed again, this time with revulsion and hatred, and the power flowed out of her and into Alec. He screamed in agony, dropping Jane as he fell writhing to the floor. Frankie caught Jane before she hit the ground, his hand covering the wound on her neck as she groaned in pain.

Maura continued to yell as she threw every bit of hatred she possessed into Alec. He continued to thrash around on the floor, his flailing limbs leaving dents in the tubes and kicking up plumes of ash.

Frankie was looking at her with great apprehension, doubtlessly afraid of the terrifying look on Maura's face, but he gathered his courage enough to yell out a question over her screams of rage. "Maura! We need to kill him! Tell me what to do!"

Maura suddenly remembered that she was still wearing Lieutenant Reynolds' weapon. Still maintaining her mental grip on Alec, she answered Frankie in a heated voice. "Get the gun off my belt, at the back."

Frankie didn't waste any time. He put a still moaning Jane down as gently as possible, then lunged towards Maura, finding the gun and prising it between the metal spikes skewering her body quickly. He turned towards Alec, took the safety off, and with a stony expression fired two shots.

The bullets did their work quickly. Two large holes appeared in the thrashing vampire, one in his chest and one in his head. He immediately stopped moving, his limbs finally collapsing as dead weights. The flames from the incendiary rapidly spread through the lifeless remains, and after a few moments only a singed cloak was left.

Alec was gone.

Frankie huffed out a relieved breath, putting the safety back on and holstering the gun. He glanced gratefully at Maura, before turning his attention back to Jane.

Maura felt shell shocked. The amount of hatred it had taken to break through the mental barrier around her powers had been staggering, and she felt appalled at the revulsion she had felt towards Alec. She had never wanted to feel that way again after their first confrontation with the Volturi, but she had embraced the strong emotions wholeheartedly when she realised she needed them to save Jane. She knew this would be an experience that would take some time to deconstruct and understand.

Now, however, she needed to know Jane was okay. Frankie had his hand over her neck wound again, but Jane was still moaning in pain. Suddenly Jane started to jerk and twitch, and she let out an ear-splitting yell.

Frankie looked back at Maura fearfully. "Maura, she's lost a lot of blood, but I don't think that's the problem."

Maura felt the weight of dread fill her whole being. "No! No, this can't happen, not to Jane, not now! No!"

Jane's whole body arched in pain, her hands clutching her chest. Maura realised her worst fears were now a terrible reality, and vampire venom had just reached Jane's heart. There was nothing to be done.

Her best friend was turning into a vampire, and it was all her fault.


	20. Chapter 20

Hi all!

Thanks so much for sharing some reactions to last chapter, I honestly wasn't sure if people were going to like the direction this story has taken. Much appreciated, and please keep letting me know what you think as we go along!

Special thanks to JaneyGWF for betaing this chapter, even though she is on holidays.

Enjoy!

* * *

Maura stared at Jane's writhing body in shock. Once again, she knew she needed to act, to do anything, but her mind continued to spin impotently. She felt the weight of her failure pushing down, heavier than the weight of the morgue roof, more painful than the spikes still piercing her body. She wasn't breathing, or moving, she could only stare and gape.

Frankie finally broke the trance, darting in front of her and shaking her shoulders. "Maura! Snap out of it! What do I do?"

Maura focused on him, his fear and desperation penetrating the fog around her logic and reason. "Blood. Her wound, is she still bleeding?"

Frankie huffed in relief, sliding back down to Jane as fast as humanly possible. "No. It looks like it's sealed over. That's good, right?"

Maura shook her head in worry. "We have to try and bleed her as much as possible. The only reason Jane was able to get through to me when I first turned was because I'd been drained of blood almost completely. If we let Jane turn like this, she'll have no self-control around humans. She'll kill anyone she meets."

Maura gasped in realisation. "She'll kill you, Frankie! We need to get you out of here!"

Frankie was busy pulling his multi-tool off his belt. "We can worry about that later, just tell me what to do."

Maura nodded, knowing he was right. They had around three days until Jane recovered from the change and became dangerous. "Alright. Try opening up the veins on her arm. Cut along the vein, from her elbow towards her hand."

Frankie blanched and pulled back from Jane, holding the knife with distaste. "Are you sure? Won't that hurt?"

Maura sighed in resignation. "She won't even feel it over the pain she's already in. Vampire venom makes you feel like you're being burned alive, from the inside. She doesn't even know we're here."

Frankie still looked queasy, but nodded and bent over Jane. Carefully gripping her right arm, he pressed the knife into her arm, pulling as gently as possible once it pierced the skin. After a few moments, he pulled away and inspected his work.

His frown indicated the success of the procedure. "It's not bleeding. Damn, it's being sealed up. I didn't even get a drop."

He looked back at Maura for more help, and she quickly prompted him again. "Try the carotid artery. Hurry, we obviously don't have long."

He inched closer to Jane's head, using one knee to hold down her still squirming torso. Using as much finesse as possible under the circumstances, he stabbed his sister again.

Frankie growled in frustration as the knife again came away clean. "No, it's no good. What else can we try?"

Maura thought quickly, realising that they needed something to draw the blood out, similar to how a needle had been used to bleed her when she was first turned. A brief mental inventory of the equipment they had on hand revealed nothing of use, but she realised there was one last thing to try.

Maura closed her eyes in distaste, but looked at Frankie with grim determination as she opened them. "I can attempt to suck the blood out. You'll have to lift Jane and put her wrist in my mouth, I can't move."

Frankie stood up and gaped at her in disgust, obviously against the idea, but then glanced back at Jane, still groaning and thrashing in pain. He grimaced, his expression the picture of revulsion, but silently started to gather Jane into his arms. She squirmed and seized, her limbs making it difficult to move her, but he finally managed to curtail her movements enough to get her off the ground. He quickly moved to Maura, somehow freeing a hand and manoeuvring Jane's wrist in front of Maura's mouth.

Maura closed her eyes for a moment, picturing Angela's face as a focus for her actions, then lunged forward and bit down. Her teeth penetrated the skin, and her tongue was soon flooded with the taste of blood.

But something was wrong. The blood burned as it touched her mouth, and continued to trail fire down her throat. Maura immediately spat out Jane's wrist and any liquid left in her mouth, coughing violently as the blood ignited every cell it touched. Frankie stumbled back in surprise, almost dropping Jane, and managed to put her down in a slightly coordinated stumble.

Maura coughed raggedly and started to dry retch, the liquid all gone from her system but the consequences remaining. Belatedly she realised that there was foreign venom in Jane's blood, much more concentrated than the small amount of venom that she'd sucked out of Jane once before. That small accidental bite from Alec's sister had deposited only a miniscule dose of venom, whereas Alec had intentionally injected venom into Jane's neck for several long seconds, nearly a minute. Alec's venom had obviously multiplied rapidly once it reached Jane's heart, and now there was too high a concentration for her system to compensate for.

Frankie was holding Jane protectively but looking at Maura in dismay, clearly at a loss. "Maura, how can I help? What's happening?"

Maura tried to answer, but her coughing fit persisted, robbing her of any opportunity to respond. She couldn't even move her hands enough to gesture reassuringly, so Frankie was forced to watch for several agonising minutes until Maura finally started to still. Gasping in air greedily, she could feel that her throat was damaged, painfully so, but the worst seemed to be over.

Maura finally met Frankie's eyes apologetically, but he simply sighed in relief. "Maura, are you okay? That didn't look fun."

She nodded tiredly, feeling the drain on her energy from the multiple injuries her body had sustained. It didn't feel like she was actually dying, but she was certainly not at her full strength.

Frankie looked back at Jane forlornly. "Now what? I don't think we're going to be able to bleed her."

Maura nodded again, her apprehension returning rapidly. She cleared her throat a few times, and discovered her voice was scratchy but usable. "We need to get you out of here. There's nothing more we can do for Jane, we just have to try and help her once she comes through this."

Frankie sighed again, stroking Jane's distressed face. There were tears streaking his ash covered cheeks, his expression heartbroken as he watched his sister transform painfully into something he hated.

Jane suddenly jerked, her arms and legs flailing aimlessly. She let out a yell of pain, her back curling again as she reacted to the venom forcing her to experience a new level of agony.

Frankie tried to hold her, but her arm caught him in the face, and he was knocked back. Maura gasped in fear, and instinctively jerked against her immovable restraints again. "Frankie, get back! You can't let her injure you. If you're bleeding, it will be that much harder for her to stop. We have to give her the best chance we can."

He nodded in agreement, crawling back away from Jane. They both watched Jane struggle against her own body, filled with guilt and sympathy.

Maura suddenly realised that there was something else she could do. She closed her eyes, trying to block her awareness of the situation. She pushed down her feelings of guilt, her anxiety for Frankie, her apprehension about her own wellbeing, and her fear for what Jane would think about the way her life had just been changed. She buried all her negative emotions, and tried to think about good things.

She remembered coming home to one of Angela's home cooked meals. She remembered spending a casual dinner with her mother after Jane had broken through the ice wall of propriety that had separated them. She remembered playing her first game of pool with Frost and Korsak at the Dirty Robber. She remembered the passion in Susie's voice as they sorted through the logic of a crime scene.

She remembered the first time Jane had invited her to a family dinner, when the whole Rizzoli clan had accepted her as one of their own.

She remembered the moment she realised that Jane had truly forgiven her, and had accepted her back into her life as her best friend.

And Maura allowed herself a brief moment of joy, when she realised that Jane would possibly live just as long as she would. Being alone forever was no longer a foregone conclusion.

They really could be best friends forever.

With a small smile, Maura opened her eyes and fixed her gaze on Jane. She let the power within her draw its flavour from her happiest memories, and directed it at her tortured friend.

To her relief, Jane immediately relaxed, her body falling to the floor in exhaustion. Her chest still heaved with rapid breaths, but her expression softened from an agonised grimace to a tense frown.

Frankie looked on in amazement, his eyes flicking between them in confusion. "What did you do?"

Maura's smile deepened, but her eyes didn't waver as she rasped out a response. "I used the Volturi power for something useful. As long as I can keep this up, I think Jane will be okay. She's still transforming, but hopefully this will make the ordeal a bit less traumatising."

Frankie stepped back to Jane, careful not to break Maura's sight line. He moved Jane's limbs so they were more comfortably situated and stared for a few moments, watching Jane's eyes twitch beneath her eyelids.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Frankie stood again and started looking around the boiler. "So, escape. How does one get out of a boiler? Without vampire strength or jumping skills, that is."

Maura frowned slightly, ensuring she could maintain her positive emotional state before croakily replying. "I'm not exactly sure. Do you still have a phone?"

Frankie shook his head, then bent over Jane carefully to check her belt. He held his hands up, empty.

Maura sighed, moving on to the next option. "I don't think mine is usable, I'm sure I heard it shatter when Alec stabbed me. You might be able to check though, it's next to where you got the gun."

Frankie walked over carefully and leaned against the wall next to Maura, wrapping his hand in his sleeve before feeling around her back.

A disappointed grunt soon confirmed Maura's suspicions. "Nope, it's stabbed right through the middle. No way it's usable."

He stepped back, eyeing the restraints holding Maura to the wall. "Maybe I can get you free somehow? Then you could get us all out of here, and take Jane somewhere safe."

Maura smiled thinly. "That would be ideal, but I don't think I'm going anywhere. The differing angles of the metal and the depth of penetration of the wall mean the rods will either need to be cut off the other side of the wall, or pulled out on this side by someone with vampire level strength. Possibly a combination of the two. I'm not willing for you to try, and risk injuring yourself."

Frankie frowned in disagreement, and walked over to the pile of metal still on the floor. "What if I used some of this? I might be able to pry the stuff off your arms, at least."

Maura's croaky voice picked up a commanding edge as she made her will clear. "No, Frankie. It won't work, and I won't have Jane waking up to a bleeding brother because I couldn't stop him doing something futile. Please, leave me here."

Frankie nodded and shuffled back from the pile of metal. "Doesn't that hurt, though?"

Maura smiled, more genuinely this time, touched by the concern. "Not so much anymore. I think my body has healed as much as it can. It's similar to how I felt when I still had bullets stuck in my back. I can feel the metal through my body, and it's an unsettling sensation, but it's not precisely painful."

Frankie wiped his hands over his face, apparently trying to get his head around the concept of being impaled and still holding a conversation. He shook his head, then refocused on the task at hand. "So, being rescued is probably out, any other ideas?"

Maura thought for a moment, considering their dwindling options. "I haven't ever studied coal power stations, so I'm rather unfamiliar with the design of this particular boiler. Maybe you could look around for any hatches or doors?"

Frankie agreed and spent the next few minutes walking the whole length of the boiler, tapping at the tubes and creating loud echoes throughout the space. Maura waited patiently, keeping her concentration fixed on Jane and her positive memories. It was several long minutes before Frankie made his way back, traversing the entire available floor space before conceding defeat. "There's nothing. Just tubes, all sealed together solidly. There aren't even any holes between the tubes where I could try to pry them apart. And the walls are way too smooth and steep for me to climb."

Maura sighed in defeat, even though she had expected that result. Alec might have been vindictive and possibly insane, but he wasn't dumb, and he knew his way around a power station if his boasting had been at all truthful. If he thought he was putting them in a place that couldn't be escaped, he was probably right.

Frankie wasn't ready to give up though, if his pacing was any indication. "What about the ash? Maybe if I dig down, I might find an exit."

Frankie grabbed a twisted piece of metal Alec had left behind, drawing a raspy warning from Maura. "Wait! Wrap your shirt around your mouth and nose, you don't want to breathe too much of this ash in. And cover the edges of the metal with something too, you don't want to cut your hand."

She was fairly sure Frankie rolled his eyes and muttered something, but he did as she suggested, using the remains of Alec's cloak to wrap the metal, and walked to the end of the boiler. Maura heard him start to dig, the rhythmic thud of the metal against the ash an encouraging sign.

After an unknown length of time, she heard the makeshift shovel strike something metal. She heard Frankie curse, then several minutes of scraping noises. Eventually, Frankie moved back into her peripheral vision, his shoulders slumped.

He threw down the makeshift shovel in frustration, removing the shirt from his face before answering her unasked question. "There's a whole bunch of debris under the ash, about a metre down. Twisted metal, plates, rubbish, cans, it's all tangled together. If there is an exit under there, I can't get to it."

He stomped over to the backpack Alec had left, pulling out a water bottle and taking a small swig. "I'll try the other end in a minute, I might have more luck there."

Maura smile half-heartedly. "Maybe."

Frankie slumped back against the nearest slope, sighing tiredly. "How the hell did we end up here, Maura? This is so far beyond messed up."

Maura agreed entirely, so didn't interrupt him as he continued sadly. "I mean look at us. My sister is turning into a vampire. Her best friend is already a vampire, and is using her magic powers to suppress the pain of vampire venom, even though another psycho vampire staked her to a wall. And I'm trying to escape an inescapable giant metal cage before my sister wakes up and kills me."

Maura cleared her throat again, her voice still scratchy, and answered with complete sincerity and sorrow. "I don't think I'll ever be able to express just how remorseful I am, Frankie. No matter my intentions, you and your family have still been drawn into this world through your association with me. I am truly sorry for all of this, Frankie."

Frankie nodded slowly, then stood up, his hands fidgeting with the shirt. "Look, if this ends badly, I mean, if Jane…just make sure she knows I don't blame her, okay? If she wakes up and the inevitable happens, I know it won't be her fault. She won't be able to help it."

He walked away, wrapping the shirt around his mouth, almost making Maura miss his next mumbled sentence. "Just like you couldn't help it."

Maura felt an unexpected rush of joy flow through her at his words. She smiled softly, basking in the knowledge that Frankie understood her side, at least a little bit. It almost sounded like he didn't completely hate her anymore.

Frankie spent the next few hours busily digging, carefully moving piles of ash away from the end of the boiler. He only paused to drink sparingly from the bottled water Alec had left, one out of three large bottles. There would be enough to get Frankie through the three day wait comfortably, as well as an adequate amount of energy bars to keep his strength up.

The only problem was, if he was still inside the boiler after three days, he wouldn't be leaving alive, no matter how well-nourished he managed to remain.

The more Maura thought about Alec's motivations for bringing the food and water, the more she was inclined to believe he had intended this outcome, with the exception of his own death. He must have been watching them, or investigating them, or have been given information from his sister, in order to know who to take for leverage against Maura. He may have also realised that Maura hated being a vampire, and that she was vehemently opposed to anyone else she loved ending up the same way. Otherwise the current outcome was a staggering coincidence, as Maura honestly couldn't think of a worse way to punish her than to go after Jane.

After an unknown number of hours, Maura heard an exasperated yell from Frankie. Again, there were a few more minutes of agitated digging and scraping, before she heard him returning. He threw down the shovel in disgust, ripping off his face shield and plopping down as close to Jane as he could safely.

After chugging a huge gulp of water from the bottle, he finally looked at Maura. "Nothing. There's more rubbish down that end. It doesn't look like there's a way out."

Maura sighed, having expected this result. It fit too well with Alec's vindictive nature, if her suspicions about his intentions were correct. He had ensured that Jane would turn, that Frankie would be trapped in here with her, and that Maura was helpless to do anything but watch as her friend mindlessly murdered her own brother.

Frankie sighed as well. "It's okay, Maura. We just got dealt a losing hand."

Maura struggled to keep calm, fighting against her guilt and misery to ensure she continued to send good, pain suppressing emotions to Jane. She noticed Jane frown and squirm slightly, and redoubled her efforts, determinedly pushing her fears for Frankie to the back of her mind and instead focussing on the memory of Jane enjoying their first run through the city at vampire speed. Jane settled as Maura relived the joy and optimism she had felt in that moment, one of the first truly fun moments she'd experienced as a vampire.

Frankie muttered something about needing sleep, before grabbing all the spare clothing they had and settling on the ground. He tossed and grumbled for several minutes before finally finding a suitable position and drifting into a fitful sleep.

Maura found herself alone, and decided to create a mental loop of her happiest memories to ensure the flow of positive emotions. She was starting to feel a sort of mental strain from using her abilities continuously, but she was determined to persist until either Jane woke up or she passed out, something she wasn't even sure was possible. She really had no idea of the potential consequences of overusing her powers, but under these circumstances she felt that was a minor concern.

Frankie had been asleep for several long, lonely hours, the silence deafening in its oppressive stillness, when Jane suddenly jerked. Maura frowned in alarm, checking her mental state and feeling sure that nothing had changed.

Jane jerked again, her face contorting in pain. Frankie woke suddenly when Jane shrieked, her right arm grasping at her left shoulder.

Frankie half jumped up, grabbing the wall to steady himself as he tried to understand what had happened. "Maura? Are you okay?"

Maura was starting to panic, desperately trying to hold onto her emotional control while answering him. "I don't think it was me! I think something's wrong!"

Frankie's eyes whipped back to Jane, and he approached her carefully, ready to jump back if she suddenly swung a limb in his direction. A flash of horror crossed his face when he got a good look at Jane's arm. "Maura, it's her arm! The metal screws and plates are being pushed out or something!"

Maura gasped in shock, and she felt her control of her emotions slip, allowing fear to dominate her mind. She immediately released Jane, not wanting to accidentally inflict more pain due to the negative emotions. Jane screamed again, her whole body convulsing as the full brunt of the venom's agony returned.

Frankie jumped back, looking at Maura pleadingly. "Maura, what do I do?"

Maura gaped for a few long moments, before answering shakily. "If you can get close to her, try to pull the pieces out. There's nothing we can do to stop the process, but you might be able to speed it along. But be careful."

He nodded, his face going pale at the thought of the task before him, but he gritted his teeth and prepared to approach Jane's thrashing body. He studied her movements for a few moments, before lunging forward, almost tackling her and crushing her torso beneath his. He managed to situate himself facing her arm, and shot his hand forward, grabbing onto the first piece of metal he could see.

Jane redoubled her screaming as soon as he touched her, trying unconsciously to throw him away with all her strength. Frankie held on, however, and soon Maura could hear pieces of metal being tossed away from the scuffle. She couldn't see what was happening, but it seemed as though Frankie was succeeding. After a few minutes of wrestling, Frankie suddenly threw himself off Jane, scurrying away from her as fast as he could. His hands were covered in bloody smears, but he seemed to be uninjured.

Maura had used the time to centre herself, and immediately resumed her pain suppression efforts as soon as Frankie was clear and she could re-establish a steady line of sight. Jane stopped thrashing around, her body stilling once again.

Frankie groaned in exhaustion, wiping his hands on his pants as he tried to get his breath back. "Okay, I'm done helping."

Maura smiled at the attempt at humour. "Well, I think you've probably earned a power bar after that, detective."

She saw Frankie grin for a few moments before he pushed himself up, slowly trudging back to the backpack. He rummaged through the contents, settling on an acceptable flavour to try before sitting back on the ground.

The next few days passed slowly. Frankie dug out the whole length of the boiler, discovering rubbish and debris under all the ash at the bottom. After he finished the last section, he admitted defeat, throwing his makeshift shovel away and settling in to wait. He kept up sporadic conversation with Maura throughout the days, both of them trying to keep the mood light as they waited for the inevitable.

Their conversation had erased any remaining tension or hostility between them, with their banter returning to the gentle and respectful exchanges that had been common before either of them had heard of vampires. Frankie started sharing heart-warming and funny stories about his and Jane's early years, even getting Maura to laugh a few times. She had shared some of her more cheerful memories in return, leaving out her lonely early years and focussing on the good times. Both of them carefully avoided any discussion of their situation, as they knew all options for changing the outcome had been explored.

Frankie, being human, had needed to sleep a few times, so Maura had ended up with plenty of time alone to think. She kept up her cycle of memories, but there was a nagging voice at the back of her mind demanding that she analyse and explain the deep hatred she had unleashed in order to access the ability she was currently using. Maura had thought back over the whole experience, trying not to focus on the feelings, but more to work out why she had needed such a huge emotional battering ram to access the abilities in the first place.

She realised that it had felt like her mind had quarantined the other abilities, almost as if it was trying to protect the rest of her mind from being overwhelmed. It was hard to tell in the current situation, as she was still using her abilities constantly in addition to being gravely injured physically, but it felt as if something was off, perhaps damaged, in her mind. It was something she felt the need to explore further, but she resisted the urge in favour of focussing on helping Jane.

Maura couldn't risk taking her eyes off Jane in order to keep up the pain suppression, which meant she had no choice but to watch every moment of her friend's transformation. Jane's skin gradually paled, the pores disappearing and the miniscule flaws evening out. Gradually her pulse became invisible beneath her skin as the flesh hardened and became as impervious as marble. The scars on her neck and hands faded away, leaving only the faint outline of Alec's teeth on her throat. Her hair thickened and darkened, the striking black a stark contrast to her complexion. Although Jane had remained relaxed and stopped moving in pain, Maura could see the strength building beneath the surface. The proud detective had turned into a deadly predator.

Maura felt her energy starting to wane significantly after Jane started to visibly change, but she didn't allow her resolve to waver. She was determined to keep the worst of this experience from Jane if possible, and she wasn't going to let something like mental fatigue get in her way. Her voice had remained raspy for days, and Maura was starting to suspect that the damage done by Alec's venom was permanent. Frankie had noticed her discomfort, croaky voice and fatigue, which had led to him checking on her well-being every few hours, but she stubbornly refused to admit how weak she felt.

At some unknown hour on the third day of their confinement, Jane suddenly arched off the floor without warning, her hands grasping at nothing. Her breathing kicked up in intensity, and Maura could hear her heart beating frantically fast. She knew it was time.

Frankie had figured it out too, and stood up warily. His eyes were fixated on Jane, his expression an odd mix of fascination and disgust.

As Jane gasped her last breaths, Frankie glanced at Maura with determination. "Maura? You remember what I said, right? You'll tell her?"

Maura nodded jerkily, dropping her influence again as her apprehension and sadness took over momentarily. "I'll tell her. You know she loves you, right? We both do. You're a wonderful brother, and friend. You're a great man, Frankie. Angela would be so proud of you."

Frankie had tears in his eyes as he met her gaze fiercely. "I think she'd be proud of all of us. And she'd forgive you for everything. So do I. I want you to know that, Maura, I do forgive you."

From Frankie's generous words, Maura found the strength and bittersweet happiness to help Jane through the last moments of her transition, despite her flagging energy reserves. Frankie saw the effort she was expending on Jane's behalf, and moved next to Maura, his hand finding hers in a comforting gesture.

He turned back to Jane, his voice soft and tender. "I forgive you, Janie, for anything you might do. I know you, you'll try your best to do right. You're the best big sister a guy could want. I love you, sis."

Jane breathed one last time. Maura heard her heart shudder, then stop.

The room fell deathly silent.

Jane's eyes opened.


	21. Chapter 21

Hi all!

I see everyone enjoyed the last few chapters! I really appreciate all the comments, they are very inspiring, and it's lovely to know people are a bit hooked! Please keep letting me know what you think!

Thanks as always to JaneyGWF, this was a tricky chapter so I really appreciate all your efforts!

Enjoy!

* * *

It felt like days ago that she was bitten by Alec. She had heard Maura screaming, more brokenly and desperately than Jane had ever heard before. Frankie had been there too, bellowing and protesting, but pain had overcome her senses before she could talk to them and reassure them.

She realised what was happening immediately. It was exactly how Maura had described it. Her entire body felt like it was on fire. Bones, muscles, eyes, toes, sweat, tears, and especially blood; all of it was burning, and Jane could do nothing but scream.

And then it had stopped. It felt like a soothing bucket of water had been poured through her, dousing the pain and leaving a safe, comforting feeling of happiness and love in its place. After a few seconds, Jane realised it had to be Maura, using powers Jane had thought forever lost to save her from the agony of the transformation. She had no idea how Maura had managed it, but she could feel her friend's influence; warm, familiar and very welcome.

Jane tried to move, to thank Maura for somehow stepping in, but her body was still out of her control, her consciousness separated from her physical form by some sort of barrier. She wasn't sure if it was Maura's power or the venom, but after several minutes of stubborn struggle, Jane admitted she was stuck as a passenger in her paralysed body until her change was complete.

Jane decided to try and think through the situation, so she could possibly anticipate what she might face when she woke up. As a vampire.

The realisation stopped her thoughts cold. She really was turning into a vampire. It wasn't a possible outcome, it wasn't a long-term possibility, it wasn't an idea to be discussed academically; it was happening, now. She could feel the venom in her veins, heavy and foreign, and although she couldn't feel the pain, she could feel the wrongness. Her body was fighting, but she knew it couldn't win. Her transformation was inevitable now.

She had considered the possibility before, even going so far as to ask Maura to change her in an ill-considered moment of insanity. But now it was actually happening, Jane was rather apprehensive. Her whole life was about to change, in fact had already changed. She would never return to work, never help rebuild BPD, never chase down a criminal with only her gun and her wits between her and death. She would never trust herself around TJ again, in fact she would be lucky to see any of her friends or family. There was no imminent threat compelling her to risk the temptation of being around people, like Maura had been subjected to under the threats of the Volturi. Jane knew that unless she was 100% sure of her self-control, she would never risk being around her loved ones unnecessarily, as she knew it would destroy her if she had to live with killing someone she cared about.

The train of thought came to a screeching halt when she realised there was a chance that Frankie was still stuck in the boiler with her.

Jane's thoughts reeled at the idea that she might be capable of killing her own little brother. It seemed ridiculous, but she remembered watching Maura's struggles with vampire thirst, and she felt no confidence in her ability to do better. Maura was one of the smartest and most strong-willed people she'd ever met, with much more control over her emotions and impulses than Jane had ever had. If Maura couldn't overcome the inherent instincts that came with being a vampire, it spoke volumes about Jane's chances.

Jane had been stuck in the half-conscious limbo of her transformation for an unknown amount of time, agonising over the potential outcomes of her awakening, when a new pain suddenly blossomed along her left arm. It was a different sort of pain, more focussed, sharper, and more difficult to ignore. She felt her body react, seizing and thrashing, and Jane suddenly found her mind assailed with the full pain of the experience again. For some reason, Maura had lost the link, and it was leaving Jane completely vulnerable to the painful assault of the venom.

It was relentless, pounding in on her awareness from all sides, leaving her nowhere to hide. She couldn't fight, she couldn't surrender, she could only endure it. She felt her body grow heavier, as if someone had fallen on her, and the pain increased in her arm again. The additional agony lasted a few minutes, time filled with burning, stabbing and tearing, but finally the pain stopped once more.

Maura's influence swept over her again, and Jane was released from the torture back into the depths of her mind. She felt completely exhausted, as if the smallest thought would take more energy than she possessed. Although the process of her transformation wouldn't allow her to lose consciousness, Jane's awareness slowed to a crawl, her thoughts stunned into silence. She stopped fighting and allowed the essence of Maura's feelings to pervade her, keeping her safe. Her mind drifted through thoughts of her life, fond memories that she hoped would remain clear after her transformation, and also past traumas that she couldn't believe she would be able to forget.

After another unknown amount of time, Jane started regaining awareness. Her body was still unreachable, but her mind was becoming clear. She took a careful inventory of her condition, and noted many amazing changes. She could feel the new strength in her limbs, as the hard floor no longer pressed into her flesh. She still breathed, her inhalations shallow and harsh, but her fatigue was dissipating as her tissues grew hard as stone.

Her thoughts had changed as well. She could feel the way her memories were linked together, more linearly as Maura had once explained. Every experience she had lived through was a doorway to another, and she could call any of her memories to the forefront with blinding speed. She travelled the course of her whole life in her mind, surprised to find memories she could previously barely remember easily accessible.

Jane was confused, as this felt different to Maura's description of her experiences. When her friend had first regained awareness, she had been barely able to recall her life, in fact completely forgetting certain people and events. Jane seemed to be experiencing the opposite, with her memories of her human life perfectly intact, or possibly even enhanced.

As she continued to wonder about her memories, Jane slowly noticed an awareness of her surroundings. Her eyes were still closed, so she had no idea how she could see, but she started to see shapes and bizarre colours, like nothing her eyes had ever seen before. The images were faint, but as she concentrated she started to make sense of them.

She could make out the shape of Frankie, sitting slumped against the wall. He had a sort of glow around him, and she could see something like currents flowing around his body, following where she guessed his circulatory system to be. She could also make out Maura looking down at her. There was no glow coming off Maura, but she did have currents flowing through her as well, although they looked very different to the ones inside Frankie. Instead of the colours moving in a circular path, all of Maura's cells were pulsing with colour, exchanging little bursts and passing them on, making Maura's body shimmer and shift like a kaleidoscope. There were dark spots in the picture, which Jane eventually understood to be the pieces of metal piercing her body.

After a while, Jane started to notice an ethereal thread between them, starting at Maura and flowing into Jane. Based on what she could feel, Jane guessed she was somehow seeing the pain suppression that Maura was using to help her. Jane fervently wished she could move, to thank Maura for all she was doing, but her body was still stubbornly unresponsive.

Jane continued to watch her companions with her strange new sense, and over time noticed something alarming about Maura. The colours flowing through her body were steadily slowing and dimming, although the cord between them remained strong. Jane wasn't sure what it all meant, but she suspected Maura was killing herself trying to help her. Jane struggled against her body with renewed urgency, trying to produce any reaction that could get Maura to stop, but there didn't seem to be any way to move until her transformation was complete.

When Jane had worked herself into a frantic wreck after watching Maura's energy wane steadily, her body finally moved, however it was still involuntary. Jane felt her heart convulse painfully, her limbs flying out aimlessly, and she fervently hoped that this was it. That it was finished, and she could wake up and help Maura.

She suddenly saw the cord between them change colour, sending a burst of sadness and guilt into her painfully, before being severed altogether. Jane felt her mind and body reconnect, and put all her concentration into not screaming. The pain was almost overwhelming, but she focussed on that image of Maura's life force, energy, whatever it was, draining to almost nothing, and tried to look as if she didn't need more help.

It didn't work, and Jane felt Maura recommence her efforts. Jane could only watch as her best friend's energy sputtered, surely on the edge of giving out altogether. She wished she knew how to turn off this new second vision, because she knew she didn't have the strength to watch Maura die trying to help her.

Fortunately, there wasn't much more to endure for either of them. Jane's body collapsed to the ground as her heart beat for the last time, the pain disappeared and her eyes opened.

Jane immediately jumped to her feet, taking a moment to get used to the new strength in her limbs. She felt lighter, as if she was barely attached to the earth anymore. She looked at her hands, noticing the flawless, scar-free skin. There was a slight pang of something guilty and sad when she realised all the marks of her old life would be gone, but she smiled when she realised that all her memories were still completely intact.

Jane abruptly remembered her urgency, and her eyes snapped up to meet Maura's. She sucked in a sudden shocked breath as she got a good look at her.

Whatever second vision she'd experienced hadn't lied. Maura looked terrible to her new vampire eyes. She sagged weakly against her restraints, the metal stabbing harshly through her skin without mercy. Jane could see the large cracks permeating her skin, joining the wounds in a gruesome pattern. Maura's eyes were almost completely black, her thirst readily apparent, but those eyes weren't fixed on Frankie, the only available food source. Maura was staring at her newly transformed best friend, her expression pleading and desperate.

Jane looked at Frankie, and realised that he was pressed as close to the wall as possible, his face split between fear and hope. Jane understood, remembering her reaction when Maura had first awoken. She noticed he had a gun in his holster, but he didn't look like he had any intention of using it, despite being faced with a newborn vampire.

Jane frowned in confusion when she realised that she hadn't felt the need to attack Frankie. Maura had been uncontrollable when she'd first awoken, not even recognising Jane until she'd fed on almost two people's worth of blood. But, for some unknown but entirely welcome reason, Jane wasn't even tempted. She could smell Frankie, and she could identify the smell as potential prey, but the instinct to attack just wasn't there. In fact, Jane didn't feel like she had any new predatory instincts at all.

Shaking her head in confusion, Jane refocussed on the issue at hand. She decided to hold her breath, just in case the vampire instincts were simply dormant or delayed, and took a step towards Maura.

Jane was immediately hit with a jolt of pain, her eyes meeting Maura's in confusion. Maura was using her power to try and stop Jane, but it was obviously taking a huge toll, and wasn't anywhere near as effective as it should have been. The sensation wasn't simply composed of hatred or anger; instead there were a multitude of emotions, fear and guilt prominent among them, resulting in a mixture of pain and general discomfort, but no crippling agony. Jane knew that she could easily fight through the pain and move if she wanted to, unlike her experience with the Volturi using the same power. Maura's small frame was trembling, her face a determined grimace, and she was sagging further in her restraints as she put everything she had into keeping Jane away, but she had obviously pushed herself past her limits.

Jane abruptly realised that she was protecting Frankie, since she had no way of knowing what was going on in Jane's head. "Maura! Stop! You're killing yourself, please, stop!"

Maura frowned and gritted her teeth, while Frankie looked between them, completely at a loss. Jane could see the concern on his face as he looked at Maura, as well as the fear when he looked back at his sister.

Abruptly the pain stopped, and Maura gasped, her eyes rolling back as she winced and groaned. Jane immediately ran to her side, ignoring a bewildered Frankie for the moment.

Maura slowly opened her eyes, and looked at Jane with great regret, her voice sounding exhausted and defeated. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you, but I had to try everything. I had to try and protect Frankie."

Jane grasped Maura's face gently, feeling the worrying tremors that were still running through Maura's frame. "And you did, Maura. Frankie is fine. You did great. Now you need to let me help you, okay?"

Maura just looked dazed as she frowned at Jane. "Why would you help me? I let this happen. I couldn't stop Alec. I couldn't stop you."

Jane realised that Maura couldn't understand, between her depleted state and her reliance on everything she knew about vampires, that Jane was different. That the worst case scenario had, for once in their lives, been avoided.

Deciding that actions were more important than words right now, she decided to stop arguing and reassuring, instead starting to try and free Maura. When Jane started running her hands over the metal spikes, carefully bending them away from Maura's battered body, Maura gaped in astonishment and spoke in an incredulous but croaky voice. "Jane? What are you doing?"

Jane rolled her eyes, continuing to work as she answered, managing to get one of Maura's arms free. "I told you, I'm getting you out of here. You shouldn't have done that for me, Maura, using your power for three whole days like that. You're hurt. You nearly killed yourself, and that's not anywhere close to acceptable."

Frankie laughed in disbelief, a strangled odd bark of a laugh, before he silenced himself fearfully. Maura's head whipped around, her expression growing more flabbergasted as she realised Jane hadn't killed him. Jane gave him a reassuring smile, starting to pull on some of the longer pieces as gently as possible. "Frankie, don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you."

Frankie frowned in confusion. "What? Jane, you're talking really fast and creepy."

Jane remembered Maura telling her about a vampire's perspective of time, and concentrated on slowing her speech down while continuing to work on Maura's bindings. After the third attempt, Frankie finally nodded in understanding, then frowned in disbelief at what she had said.

Maura was still gaping, not making any attempt to help Jane. "How? How did you stop yourself? I couldn't stop you, he should be dead…"

Jane shrugged, grimacing at Maura before yanking hard on one of the spikes extending through Maura's torso. Maura yelled in agony, her free arm smashing against the boiler wall. Jane muttered an apology before yanking again, managing to remove the rest of the piece on the second try. Maura whimpered, her body slumping tiredly.

Jane assessed the rest of the damage, realising that Alec had pushed the pieces a long way through Maura and the wall. It would take some time to remove all the metal, and it would put Maura through a lot of additional pain. She glanced at Frankie, realising he might be able to help. "Frankie, what happened to Alec? Is he coming back?"

Frankie grinned and shook his head, apparently feeling gradually safer around Jane by the second. "No, Maura managed to knock him down a peg, and she still had a gun. I did the rest."

Jane smiled back in relief. "So we're in the clear? Nobody is coming after us?"

Frankie simply shook his head with a smile, which Jane returned. "Good. Okay, I need you to go to the other side and cut off the ends of these pieces, so there's less to pull through on this side."

Frankie nodded, but gestured helplessly towards the roof. "I would, but I can't get out. The only door we know about is way up there."

Jane followed his gesture and could see the door in question with her new vision. She stepped away from Maura, finding several small portholes and support plates on the sheer walls she could use as hand holds. She looked back at her best friend, who had just been through hell to save her, and gave her a determined look. "I'll be right back."

Jane reached out a hand to Frankie, who looked fearfully at the wall. "Um, so Maura was telling me this story about when she was first turned, when she knocked down a house because she misjudged a jump…"

Jane frowned as she remembered the same story. "Right. Let me just practice a bit first."

Jane moved to the other end of the boiler, hopping slightly to try and judge the amount of force needed to jump. She focussed on her first target, bent her knees and leaped. Predictably, she'd misjudged, slamming into the wall below her intended height with far more force than was anticipated. She fell back to the floor, leaving a new large dent in the side of the boiler.

After a few more failed attempts, Jane managed to judge the required strength correctly. She made the next few jumps to the door more smoothly, learning more each time she attempted to use her new strength. Once she was satisfied she could make the journey safely, she turned around and dropped back to the bottom of the boiler, landing well away from Frankie.

He stepped back warily when she approached, reminding Jane that he must still be expecting the other shoe to drop. "Frankie, I promise, I'm okay. For some reason, I'm in control. I'm not going to hurt you. But I need to get you out of here, Maura needs your help."

He still looked apprehensive, but slowly nodded and moved closer to Jane. She turned around and encouraged him to jump on her back in a piggy-back position, then turned back to give Maura a reassuring smile. Maura just stared back in bewilderment as Jane turned and started to carry Frankie out of their prison, alive and unharmed.

Minutes later, they had left the boiler and found a workshop. Jane let Frankie down and immediately started looking for a useful tool, noticing after a few seconds that Frankie hadn't moved, and was still staring at her in puzzlement. She decided to try and break the ice, to work out if Frankie hated her for changing into something he despised. "You never even considered using that gun, did you?"

Frankie looked at his weapon, seeming surprised to find it still on his belt, before looking back at Jane seriously. "Of course not. It wouldn't be self-defence, it would be me shooting my sister. If you'd attacked me, you wouldn't have had a choice, but I did. I chose to let you live, even though you were turning into a vampire. If that meant I was finished, well, I knew who to blame, and it wasn't you. Or Maura. It was Alec, and only him. I could never kill you Jane."

Jane paused to smile at him. "I could never kill you either Frankie."

He watched Jane moving in a blur around the room, his expression still mystified. "I just don't understand why I'm alive right now. Everything we know about vampires says this is impossible. You shouldn't care about Maura at all. You should have woken up, killed me, then run out of there looking for more victims. There should be nothing left of the old Jane. But instead, here you are, saving Maura, looking after me, caring about everyone else before yourself. Just like always. As if nothing's changed."

Jane found what she was looking for, a large grinder and the safety equipment to go with it, and returned to Frankie. She urged him out of the workshop and back towards the boiler at a brisk walk.

After walking for a few moments, Jane started speaking hesitantly. "I don't know what to tell you. I know exactly what you were expecting, I was panicking about it too. I realised what was happening to me, and I realised that you might still be stuck in that place with me, and I freaked out. But then, I don't know how or why, but I didn't lose my mind when I changed. I still feel like me, I can still remember everything. What happened to me is different than what happened to Maura. When she first woke up she was gone, she was all vampire, and the only reason she didn't kill me was because she was tied down, with metal plates. It took a while for her to remember anything from her old life, and I'm not convinced she ever really got it all back. For whatever reason, which I'm sure Maura will figure out and explain to me, I'm different."

Jane realised they were about to start walking in circles. The place was a maze, and they probably would have been lost for hours, but after a few minutes of aimless wandering Jane thought to stop and close her eyes. Sure enough, her second vision was still working, and she could see Maura's energy through the walls, disturbingly fainter now than it had been the last time Jane had seen it before waking up.

Frankie kept looking at Jane with a stunned expression, but he nodded when Jane pointed him in the right direction. Jane moved to the wall Maura was pinned to, pulling sheets of cladding away from the structure to reveal the ends of the metal spikes. There were several stakes extending more than a metre past the wall.

Frankie caught up with her and looked over the situation, nodding as he plugged in the grinder. "Go back to Maura, I've got this Jane."

Jane smiled and nodded, before hurrying back to the boiler door.

Maura, who had slumped against her restraints in dejected sadness, looked flabbergasted when Jane jumped back down and immediately returned to her task. "Jane, how are you doing this? Frankie should be dead, and there is no reason you should remember who I am. Everything I know about vampires says this should be impossible."

Jane shrugged again, not understanding what was going on either. "I don't know, Maura. Frankie said the same thing. I just know I still feel like me, and the most important thing is getting you out of here and fixed up."

Maura looked at Jane's hands, clean of blood and still trying to release her from her restraints. Jane could see the moment when she decided to just accept it, as a relieved smile spread over Maura's face.

Jane smiled back, taking a moment to appreciate the fact that they'd all somehow survived a second encounter with the Volturi, before returning to her efforts. She could hear Frankie still working on the other side of the wall, so didn't attempt to pull out any of the long sections yet.

Maura watched Jane work, the smile never leaving her face, and started talking, her voice increasingly hoarse. "So, what do you remember? Did anything odd happen during the transition?"

Jane replied thoughtfully, remembering all the details vividly but not really knowing what to share. "I remember being bitten, then the venom started burning me. Then I felt you start to help, and it didn't hurt anymore. Except when something happened with my arm, I don't know what that was."

Maura grimaced at the memory. "The hardware left in your arm after your surgeries was rejected rather forcefully during the change. Frankie had to pull them out before I could start helping you again."

Jane nodded in comprehension, making a mental note to thank Frankie later. "Okay, so after that I sort of drifted off, just thinking about random memories. I think I may have been doing that 'life flashing before my eyes' thing. The next thing I knew I was about to wake up. I could feel that I had changed, and I could see some kind of weird colours or something even though my eyes were closed, but I didn't feel any new killer instincts, I still felt like me. And I didn't forget my human memories either, I can remember everything really clearly. It's strange. I'm obviously a vampire, but the mental stuff seems to be wrong. Wow, I'm a vampire. I, Jane Rizzoli, am a vampire. That sounds so weird."

Maura huffed out a brief laugh. "I know the feeling."

Jane smiled at hearing Maura laugh, even though it was strained and coarse. "So, in answer to your question, as far as I know nothing weird happened during the change."

Maura thought for a moment. "Perhaps this is just a unique reaction to vampirism, specific to you. Other vampires have special powers, including me. Maybe yours is to have a ridiculous amount of self-control."

Jane laughed briefly. "That doesn't sound like me. I thought vampire powers had something to do with your human personality, like you with your super-knowledge thing. Or Jane and her sadistic super-torture glare."

Maura nodded thoughtfully. "You may be right. There does seem to be some correlation between personality and powers, although it is not always as obvious as those examples. Maybe it was something else."

Jane considered everything she remembered. "I don't think Alec drained much of my blood. I don't remember feeling like he was sucking at my neck, more like he was latched on and pumping in as much venom as possible."

Maura winced and nodded, swallowing painfully. "I would tend to agree. There was a huge amount of venom in your blood just minutes after being bitten, in fact it stopped us from bleeding you."

Jane looked at Maura suspiciously. "And you know there was lots of venom because…"

Maura licked her cracked lips awkwardly, drawing an exasperated huff from Jane. "Is that why your voice is all messed up? Because you got a mouthful of his venom trying to help me?"

Maura simply nodded, looking away guiltily. Jane stopped her efforts, needing to wait for Frankie anyway, and decided to use the time wisely. She met Maura's gaze seriously, needing to convey her feelings as clearly as possible. "Maura, thank you so much for everything you just did for me. I only felt the full effect of the venom for a few minutes at most thanks to you. I can't even start to understand how you went through three days of that and came out sane."

Maura smiled generously, her freed hand finding Jane's and squeezing lovingly. Maura opened her mouth to say something, before frowning and staring off into space, her mind clearly thinking through something.

Jane frowned as well. "What is it?"

Maura nodded slowly. "Maybe I didn't come through the change sane. Maybe the pain of that ordeal is what creates the vampiric instincts in the first place."

Jane simply continued to look at her in confusion, so Maura continued. "Think about it. The human mind isn't designed to undergo that kind of pain for an extended period of time. I remember noticing, when I first woke up after being changed, that it was as if my mind had compartmentalised those memories and put them somewhere they couldn't hurt my conscious mind. But what if those violent memories end up becoming the violent vampiric instincts? The pain of the transformation is a more concentrated version of the pain of vampire thirst, which feels like your own venom starting to attack your body, so the vampire mind may draw a link between them. In order to avoid the pain, the conscious mind shuts off, and we instinctively act in a manner that will stop the pain, meaning we hunt and kill without restraint. Those sort of instincts are buried within all humans to varying degrees, so it's possible that when a human mind tries to adapt while becoming a vampire, the vestigial instincts are revived and hyper stimulated by the trauma."

Jane heard Frankie finish his work on the other side of the wall, but didn't interrupt Maura's explanation, which was making a scary kind of sense. "Jane, the reason you don't have those instincts might be because you didn't experience the extended trauma, you only got a few exposures, which the human mind can cope with. For example, we can deal with the momentary pain of a broken leg or a burn, and we won't be adversely psychologically affected in a long term sense. But someone who is tortured for an extended period of time or who experiences chronic pain will undergo dramatic personality changes, in order for their mind to cope with the experience. Maybe vampires are like humans in that sense, and the urge to kill when thirsty is simply the way the vampiric mind has evolved to cope with the pain of being transformed."

Jane smiled, glad to hear Maura's google speak coming out even while she is still impaled. "So, in theory, anyone who is transformed while you're helping them won't kill people as soon as they wake up?"

Maura thought about it, becoming distracted enough by her musings that she didn't notice Jane grasping the next piece of metal. She was about to say something else when Jane pulled, which drew a pained shriek from Maura instead.

Jane winced and grabbed Maura's hand. "I'm sorry, I was trying to make it hurt less. I don't have your talent for helping."

Maura nodded tersely, her eyes slammed shut. "Please, just get it over with."

Jane sighed, knowing she was right. She moved quickly to the next wound, not stopping to let Maura recover between them. Frankie had managed to trim the ends, so each piece came out easier, but Maura's screams weren't easy to take at all. After each removal, Maura slumped a little more, and each scream had less power than the last.

Finally Jane reached the last one. She didn't pause, carefully bracing Maura so she wouldn't slump to the ground before she yanked out the last intruding shard. Maura collapsed into Jane's arms, her strength gone, and simply whimpered in pain.

Jane finally understood how much Maura missed crying. She desperately wanted to burst into tears after the amount of pain she'd just had to inflict on Maura, but instead she gathered the damaged woman into her arms and jumped.

They made it to the door with no incidents, and Jane carefully manoeuvred Maura out of the small opening. Maura didn't move or react to Jane or their movements at all. She seemed to be unconscious, or the vampire version of it at least. Jane felt a burst of panic and wasted no time getting back to Frankie, picking him up with no time spent on conversation.

The trio sped out of the power station at Jane's full speed, with Maura cradled in her arms and Frankie clinging to her back. They soon reached a populated area, and Jane stopped down the street from a convenience store.

Frankie clambered down on shaky legs, with Jane grabbing him to stop him toppling over. "Frankie, are you okay? Don't worry, I know how you feel, you'll be okay in a few minutes."

He nodded, waving aimlessly at Jane. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good. Go, look after her, I'll call someone from here and get picked up."

Jane smiled at him thankfully. "You did good, little brother. Thanks for looking after us, and for killing that creep, and for helping with my arm, and, well, for everything. Stay safe, okay? I'll contact you as soon as I can."

He smiled back before moving in for an awkward sideways hug around an unresponsive Maura. "You're amazing, Janie. Look after yourself."

Jane nodded once before taking off at full speed.


	22. Chapter 22

Hi all!

Welcome to the next chapter! I'm thrilled that people are still enjoying this story! I was especially glad to know that people were happy with how the boiler situation resolved itself, I've been building towards these events for so long now, it's a relief to have them on paper and to hear what people think! Please keep letting me know your thoughts!

Thanks as always to the crazy busy JaneyGWF for taking the time to beta for me!

Enjoy!

* * *

It took a lot longer than Jane would have liked to find a way out of civilisation. She was solely focussed on finding a source of blood for Maura, since that was the only thing she could think of that might help. As she wasn't game to try breaking into a blood bank or hospital, and using a live human was completely out of the question, she was trying to find a forest, any forest, as long as it had animals.

She breathed a sigh of relief when the highway she was following passed a large patch of green, and she turned into the trees. She ran a few kilometres into the forest, wanting to make sure they were really in a deserted area before she risked trying to hunt. She had been warned enough times about a vampire's hunting instinct by the woman still lying unresponsively in her arms, and Jane didn't want to risk either of them accidentally hurting someone.

When she was satisfied that they were alone, Jane carefully put Maura down on the ground in a small clearing, with overhanging trees shielding them from the sun. Maura hadn't made a sound the entire time Jane was running, and she didn't react at all to being put down, even when Jane gently shook her shoulders. Maura simply lay where she was placed, her eyes open but unfocussed, her skin chalky and dead. Jane carefully lifted the bottom of Maura's shirt, inspecting the wound sites where she'd been impaled, and realised that the wounds hadn't closed at all. In fact, there was one particularly large one that allowed Jane to see the ground through Maura's shattered body.

Jane looked at Maura's face again, a small noise of distress escaping her when she took in Maura's appearance. She didn't look sick, or injured. She looked dead. Jane touched Maura's face, her other hand finding her shoulder and frantically shaking it again, but there was no response. Maura's eyes continued to stare blankly, with no sign that she would ever move again.

Jane was starting to panic, but she decided to stick to her admittedly basic plan. Find something to hunt, catch it, bring it to Maura. She shook off her grief, anguish and fear with a grim determination, promising herself that she could fall apart after she'd somehow made Maura better. There was no other possible outcome worth considering, so she pushed them to the back of her mind and focussed on her next move.

However, as soon as she stood up, Jane realised that her plan was going to be more difficult than she'd thought.

She had no idea how to hunt.

Jane remembered Maura explaining how she'd learned to hunt via smell, so Jane sniffed a few times, hoping to detect something useful. She caught a brief impression of something warm and big, but the scent was gone in an instant as a small breeze blew past her. Jane followed the source of the breeze, hoping that the animal she'd smelled might be in that direction, but after a few minutes she had found nothing.

She stopped again, freezing in place, and tried to use her hearing in concert with her nose. She heard creatures moving in the trees, but the sounds were all around, and obscured by the symphony of leaves brushing together, branches creaking, and a small river bubbling nearby. Jane huffed in irritation, struggling to understand how she'd managed to screw this up. This should be literally impossible for a vampire to screw up. Every vampire was supposed to be good at killing things, but she couldn't even manage to find something to kill, much less subdue it and bring it to her dying friend.

In a last ditch effort, Jane closed her eyes, hoping her second vision might lead her in the right direction. He was immediately assaulted by an explosion of colour, with each living thing nearby bristling with energy. The trees drew shimmering pulses of bright light down from their canopy, through their trunks and into their roots. The roots tangled with other plants, their configuration carefully managed to share the energy coming from the rich soil. Little grubs and insects scurried on and under the earth, their cold shells covering intense little powerhouses of light, brightening and fading as they ate and worked. There were small animals among the trees too, hiding in the branches, the trunks, or the undergrowth around the roots. Jane could see everything, in exquisite detail, all of the life in the forest.

But there were no big animals that could help heal Maura. Jane opened her eyes, feeling a bit more hope, and ran to another part of the forest, keeping her ears open to no avail. She stopped again and closed her eyes, finding more of the same. She repeated the process three more times, passing deeper and deeper into the forest, before she finally found what she was looking for.

It was a bear, much like the one Maura had once saved her from, revealing her inner monster in all its terrible power in the process. The bear was rummaging through the undergrowth, sending insects and rodents scrambling from its intrusion into their lives. Jane couldn't help feeling like an intruder herself, having observed the balance of the forest and the cohesion of all the parts of it, but she knew she needed to grit her teeth and get on with it.

Jane stepped up to the bear, feeling like she should growl or something, but the predatory instincts she'd seen in Maura just weren't there. Instead she paused awkwardly, wondering how to go about subduing a bear almost a head taller than her. Her instinct was to grab its arms and wrestle it to the ground, like a suspect, but she reconsidered that approach when it turned to look at her, standing up and lowering its head aggressively while roaring in her face.

Jane stepped back in surprise, noticing just how sharp the bear's claws and teeth were. She knew in her head that her skin should be strong enough to protect her, but it was another thing to believe it. She really just felt like normal, human Jane, about to get mauled by an angry bear.

She didn't get a chance to overthink it more than she already had. The bear growled again, before charging at her. Jane dropped into a defensive crouch, taking the impact of the bear against her shoulder. She was surprised when she didn't fall over. Instead, she managed to stop the charge of the bear and knock it to the ground. It looked angry, and roared at her again before standing to its full height and taking a swing at her head.

Jane huffed impatiently, ducking the swipe easily. She knew she needed to get this over with, since Maura needed help now. Jane waited until the bear straightened, looking at her in confusion, before she stepped in close and delivered a vicious uppercut to its chin.

The bear howled and staggered back, falling in a heap as it passed out. Jane stared for a moment, amazed by the incredible strength now at her command. She then chuckled at the realisation that she'd just punched out a bear, before awkwardly gathering the bulky bear into her arms and setting off back to where she'd left Maura.

The poor woman still hadn't moved when Jane found her again. Jane was extremely worried at this point, not knowing if it was already too late to heal whatever was wrong with Maura. She resolutely pushed her doubt to the back of her mind, instead manoeuvring the bear so its throat was right over Maura's mouth.

Maura still didn't react. Jane held the bear in position for a few moments, hoping the scent would trigger some survival instinct, but nothing happened. Sighing, Jane realised this wasn't working, and that she needed to go a step further than she'd wanted to.

She dropped the bear for a moment and patted around her clothes, looking for anything sharp. She didn't have a gun, or a knife, or even her badge. Apparently someone had disarmed her at some point. Resigned, she picked up the bear again, raising her eyes to the sky as she wished to be anywhere but here.

Jane lifted the bear towards her own mouth, taking a bracing breath before sinking her teeth through the layers of fur and into the soft flesh of its neck. It took a few moments, but her probing teeth finally found the artery she was looking for, and blood flowed into her mouth.

It tasted good, and felt as right as eating human food used to feel, but there was no overwhelming bloodlust. Jane swallowed a few mouthfuls cautiously, and found herself perfectly in control. She stopped drinking after a few seconds, feeling her body react pleasantly to the intake of the blood, before moving the dripping wound over Maura's mouth instead. Jane shook her head in wonder, still amazed at the entire experience despite Maura's possible explanation for her control. Drinking blood had felt no different to sipping a cup of coffee and feeling that comfortable satisfaction. Knowing she had other concerns at the moment, she resolutely put the realisation aside and turned her attention back to the issue at hand, making a mental note to explore her reaction to blood at a less crucial moment.

Jane swallowed the last remnants of the blood, watching carefully as the first drops fell into Maura's slightly open mouth.

Finally there was a reaction. Maura's eyes slipped closed, her head lifting off the ground and closer to the source of blood. She sniffed once, her whole body stiffening before her eyes snapped open and focussed on the bear.

Jane suddenly felt a fist collide with her chest, and realised she was flying through the air. She flipped and landed on her feet, looking back at Maura in surprise.

Maura had latched onto the neck of the bear, no longer seeming slow or drained. She ripped into the bear, making a huge mess of its neck as she fed as fast as possible. Jane could only watch in horrified fascination as Maura drank, thankful that she obviously wasn't dead, but more than a little afraid, despite being a vampire herself. Jane had already understood why she couldn't watch Maura feed as a human, but now she understood why Maura wouldn't have wanted to let her watch even if it had been safe. Seeing Maura act in such a murderous and animalistic way was completely terrifying.

Maura finally dropped the carcass of the bear, her face and neck covered in blood and fur. Her eyes fixated on Jane, and she let out a territorial snarl, rolling into an aggressive crouch.

Jane immediately put her hands up and backed away, not quite knowing what to do. "Maura? It's Jane. Remember me? Jane?"

Maura continued to glare at Jane, letting out the occasional growl, until her legs suddenly gave out. The stalemate was broken as Jane darted forward, her entire being panicked as she tried to help Maura. Instead, she jumped back in alarm when Maura snapped at her hand, snarling defensively even though she was obviously having trouble keeping her head off the ground.

Jane stepped back in shock, not understanding what was going on. "Okay. Okay, Maura, listen. I'm going to go find another bear, or something. You'll be okay once you eat some more. You'll be okay. Don't move, okay? I'll be right back."

Jane didn't wait for a response, not expecting one anyway. There was no trace of intelligence or humanity in Maura, just the violent predator. A predator who knew it was injured, but didn't know how to let someone help it.

Jane found her next prey much more quickly, as she ran in a different direction and encountered a herd of deer. She grabbed the first one she found, slinging it over her shoulder and ignoring its flailing limbs as the animal tried to escape.

She found Maura trying to crawl away, her legs apparently not working. Maura's eyes immediately fixed on the deer in Jane's arms, her body lurching towards the new food source before it failed and Maura dropped back to the ground.

Jane didn't waste any time, practically throwing the deer at Maura and getting back out of the way as soon as Maura's teeth found its neck. Maura seemed slightly calmer this time, still glaring at Jane while she drank but not making any move to get away or attack. When the deer was drained, Maura let it fall to the ground and continued to glare, her teeth bared and her posture defensive.

Jane decided to try talking again, even though it looked like her Maura was still noticeably absent. "Are you feeling any better? Can you move?"

Maura didn't react to Jane's words at all. Jane sighed and dropped to her knees, having no idea what to do now. She could keep feeding Maura blood, since that seemed to have helped her body, but she had no idea what was going on in Maura's head.

Remembering the faint energy that she had seen in the boiler, Jane closed her eyes to check if there had been any change. She immediately noticed the difference between Maura's energy and everything else in the forest. There was an obvious colour scheme for plants, another for insects, another for mammals, and a completely foreign one for Maura. The vampiric energy seemed completely out of place, almost unnatural, since it moved and looked completely alien from everything around it.

Maura's energy definitely looked brighter than the last time she'd seen it, but Jane felt that it still wasn't right. The colours pulsing between her cells looked wrong, uneven, and it seemed like there wasn't enough energy flowing around her body. The colours were brightest near her stomach, where she could see the cells rapidly drawing energy from the fresh blood, but her head and legs looked almost dead in some places. It looked like there was still a lot of damage to repair, and Jane had no idea if the blood was going to be enough.

She opened her eyes to find Maura still looking at her angrily, but the strength of her glare seemed to be fading. Jane thought Maura, or at least the instinctual creature currently driving Maura's body, might be starting to trust her, since she was the one bringing it food. With a sigh, Jane decided to do one more hunt, to see if that would be enough. At the very least it might stop Maura from attacking her.

After a few unacknowledged 'stay put' gestures that she hoped would get the message across, Jane set off again, finding the same herd of deer and capturing another big doe. This one struggled as much as the last, but quieted just as quickly once Maura got hold of it. Jane dragged the first deer and the bear away from Maura as she finished her latest meal, feeling morbid about trying to have a civilised conversation surrounded by the corpses of animals she'd just fed to her best friend.

Maura dropped the last deer as inelegantly as the first, allowing Jane to drag it away with no argument. Jane moved it next to the other bodies, then sat down a few metres away from Maura, studying her movements with a sense of desperation. Maura had pulled her legs up to her chest, holding them protectively close with her arms. She seemed healthier, at least physically. Jane couldn't see any cracks emanating out of the wound sites, and her skin had regained its previous consistency. However, she was still watching Jane intently, with no sense of recognition, only a wary defensiveness that demonstrated her primitive state of mind. Jane didn't feel quite as panicked, since a quick glance at Maura's energy seemed to suggest her body was healing, with the dark spots in her legs almost gone. However, she had no idea what to do about Maura's mental state, and if the remaining damaged patches of her head were any indication, there was a lot to repair.

Jane had no idea if this instinctive state was related to Maura being so badly injured, or if it was from overuse of her abilities, or if it was related to something else that had happened which Jane hadn't noticed or seen. Maura was never good at being honest about things that were hurting her, especially if it would make Jane feel bad to know what had caused them.

Thinking over Maura's hypothesis about Jane's incredible control, or more precisely, lack of violent instincts, Jane wondered if something like the opposite had somehow happened to Maura. If vampire reactions were a response to pain, then maybe Maura's mind was protecting her from the pain of her injuries. If that was the case, then Maura should re-emerge as soon as her body finished healing.

But that didn't seem to be happening. It was as if Maura was completely gone, and sating her physical needs hadn't changed that at all. Which meant that something else was wrong, and it was up to Jane to figure it out.

With a sigh, Jane closed her eyes to start trying to work through the problem. "Maura, I really wish you were here. I could really use your help to save yourself."

Maura didn't react, continuing to stare, and her energy remained stable. Jane frowned in frustration, not seeing anything useful, and opened her eyes, carefully examining every inch of Maura's appearance for any clues.

Jane stared at Maura for an unknown amount of minutes before slowly standing up, deciding to try a more direct approach. Maura tensed, but didn't move as Jane slowly walked over to her. Maura bared her teeth again, growling softly in warning, but Jane kept coming, kneeling in front of her and reaching out towards her face.

Right before Jane's fingers made contact, Maura let out a fearsome snarl and lunged forward, tackling Jane to the ground and snapping at her face. Jane reacted barely in time, bracing Maura's chest and holding her just far enough away to avoid her teeth. Jane pushed with all her newborn strength, throwing Maura off and into some nearby trees.

The impact knocked enough trees over to let the bright sun in, instantly bathing Jane in the warm rays of late afternoon. She was caught off guard at the sight of her own skin glittering in the light and unthinkingly paused to marvel at the sight. Maura had been right, the sight was particularly beautiful, more so with vampire sight than with weak human eyes. Jane habitually looked to Maura to share her wonder, and was greeted with the sight of her best friend leaping out of the trees, her teeth aimed at Jane's throat.

Jane rolled backwards, catching Maura and using her momentum to throw her in the other direction. Maura crashed into another bank of trees, but didn't seem bothered, simply climbing to her feet and preparing to pounce again. Jane kept her eyes fixed on her this time, bracing herself in preparation for the imminent attack.

Maura proved how absent her intelligence was when she repeated the same attack a third time, lunging directly for Jane in a frontal assault. Jane waited until the last moment before grabbing Maura's wrists, spinning her to the ground on her front and jumping on her back, pinning her completely with all the vampire strength she could find.

Maura bucked wildly, seemingly uncaring about her joints and limbs as she twisted in Jane's grasp. Maura was snarling fiercely, her face distorted in animalistic fury, but Jane stayed strong, even though it was breaking her heart to hurt Maura.

Bending over slightly, Jane yelled into Maura's ear, her cracking voice illuminating the stress she was feeling. "Maura! Stop! Calm down, it's Jane! It's me! I'm not going to hurt you, I'm trying to help!"

Maura kept struggling, so Jane kept holding her, keeping up a continuous stream of reassurances. The sun had become tinged with orange and had moved several metres by the time Maura finally stopped thrashing, and Jane sighed in relief when she felt her friend collapse to the ground.

Jane maintained her grip for another few minutes, ensuring that Maura wasn't simply pretending to be done. Maura turned her head, meeting Jane's gaze with a glare, but she didn't recommence her struggling. Jane frowned in frustration, still feeling a bit lost, but decided to allow Maura to get up, if only to see what she would do next.

When Jane released her arms, Maura pulled away, tucking her arms back around her legs and curling into a ball. She still glared at Jane, but the fire was gone. Jane sighed forlornly, her hope that Maura's mind would return on its own fading with the last ray of sunlight. She crouched down next to Maura, moving slowly but firmly as she reached for Maura's face once again.

Maura flinched as Jane's fingers touched her cheek, but she allowed the contact with a baleful glare. It seemed weird touching Maura now, since their skin was now the same temperature. Maura didn't feel like a stone statue, she felt warm and real. Jane looked into Maura's eyes firmly, not giving any sign of weakness. Maura met her eyes stubbornly for a few moments, before dropping her gaze and slumping in submission.

Jane smiled thinly, before gently pulling Maura into a sideways hug. "I'm going to fix this, okay? You've saved me, now it's my turn. It's how we work, right? We help each other out. We always have."

Jane pulled back, looking forlornly for any sign that Maura might have understood her. When Maura just looked back at her blankly. Jane sighed again, placing her other hand on Maura's cheek as she closed her eyes to concentrate.

The contact seemed to make Maura's energy easier to see, and Jane focussed on the tiny details of the colours and shapes. Where her hands touched Maura's face, she could see tiny transfers of energy, jumping both ways between their skin. She could still see the blood being absorbed by Maura's system, the rate gradually slowing as her body adjusted to being well fed rather than starved. Jane had no idea when Maura had fed before the ball, but it had been more than four days since then. Even if Maura hadn't been through a traumatic injury, her body would have been screaming for blood.

Jane could also see faint scars left behind by Maura's exposure to Volturi venom. There were two injuries, one on her back where she'd been bitten by Jane during the mob war, and the other down her throat, where Alec's venom had attacked the lining and left small discontinuities in the flow of energy. The scars looked like small dead spots, which distorted the energy moving through Maura's body and scattered it slightly. Jane felt as if neither wound would particularly trouble Maura, as there were plenty of healthy cells around the sites, but the undeserved blemishes on Maura's innocent form still bothered Jane greatly.

Jane concentrated on Maura's head, trying to understand the specifics of the dark patches. The parts of her brain near her spine seemed to be mostly working, but the parts closer to the top of her head were either dim or completely black.

One particular section seemed particularly ominous, a large black section near the centre of Maura's brain. It seemed to have several dark tendrils extending into the surrounding sections of her brain, and the energy around the area was being drawn in before disappearing. Jane was no doctor, but it definitely looked like she might have found a possible cause, although she still had no idea what she was looking at or what to do about it.

There were faint sparks of energy all through Maura's head, probably just enough to keep her moving and reacting, but Jane had a feeling she should have been seeing a lot more activity. Jane remembered various random explanations from Maura about lobes, neurons and hemispheres, and something about the limbic system. If she was remembering right, it seemed like only the oldest, instinctive parts of Maura's brain were working right now, with most of the rest of her neural energy being absorbed by the alarming dark area.

Jane opened her eyes, meeting Maura's vacant stare with regret. "I don't know. I can see there's a problem, but I don't know what to do."

She brushed her hands over Maura's face, cleaning off the dried blood as best she could. Maura allowed it, her eyes drifting over Jane's face uncomprehendingly before staring off into space once again. Jane felt a lump of sadness settle deep in her gut as she comprehended just how lost Maura was, and how lost she was without her.

Jane let herself settle back onto the ground, pulling Maura into a hug. She knew Maura didn't understand, and wouldn't draw any comfort from the gesture, but it comforted Jane to know that her friend was at least alive, and calm. The sight of Maura practically dead on the ground had scared Jane more than she could articulate, and she was grateful to have Maura back, in any capacity.

Jane sat in that position for several hours, thinking furiously. She hadn't felt the urge to move, her new body incapable of growing fatigued or sore. Maura had barely moved either, seeming content to sit placidly in Jane's arms as the light faded and night enveloped the forest. Jane noticed that her vision made the forest seem much less frightening than when she was human, as she could see all the nocturnal animals going about their business, their small noises understandable and unthreatening. Her second sight was unimpeded by the fall of darkness, illuminating everything around her in great detail.

Jane hadn't come to any promising conclusions about how to help Maura, but she had considered a few ideas. She had also spent a lot of time trying to process everything that had happened in the last day. Her elation at being able to get Frankie out alive had been almost completely overshadowed by her guilt, since Maura had obviously paid the price for that miracle. Jane kept coming back to how unfair her transformation had been, since she had gained all of the benefits of being a vampire while avoiding the major pitfalls. She knew that if Maura had been given that same chance, things would have turned out so much better. But her friend seemed to keep getting dealt losing hands, culminating in her current state. The fact that the smartest, kindest and gentlest woman she'd ever met had been deprived of her intellect, her memories and her soul was tragically wrong. It just wasn't fair.

But, Jane knew she needed to stop moping, consider her options and make a decision.

The first idea was to keep going as she had been, feeding Maura more blood in the hope that her mind would eventually heal on its own. The plan seemed unlikely to work, but it was the easiest to enact.

The second idea was to try human blood, from a blood bank. Jane was reluctant to try stealing blood on her own, still somewhat gun-shy about being near humans, despite all the evidence that she could handle it. The stark reminder of what an out of control vampire near blood looked like had shaken her confidence. In addition, she wasn't sure how to convince Maura to stay behind and not wander, especially since her second sight had shown that Maura's body was now fully healed, with the exception of her brain and some slight scarring down her throat from the venom.

Her third idea was to take Maura to the Cullen property, back in New York State. It was possible that one of the Cullens knew something that could help, or maybe even one of their powers could be useful. At any rate, they might have more ideas than Jane, and she was in desperate need of more ideas, since hers all sounded futile and desperate.

The only problem was getting Maura to come with her, and not run off and attack humans. Jane was certain that they would encounter humans at some point during the journey, since they were several hundred miles away from the property, and they needed to cross more than one major highway to get there. Despite being a newborn vampire, and despite winning their earlier battle, Jane felt very little confidence in her ability to restrain Maura if she was in a feeding frenzy.

Jane sighed in resignation, knowing that she would achieve nothing by remaining where they were. "Okay. Maura, we're going to head out. I'm going to take you to see some friends. They're your friends too, do you remember the Cullens? Carlisle?"

Maura remained still, as unresponsive as she had been since submitting to Jane's touch many hours ago. Jane sighed again, getting to her feet and pulling Maura up with her. She grabbed Maura's arm, pulling her along as she moved into the forest.

Maura followed along in a docile manner, trailing after Jane with no protest and staring at Jane's back blankly. Jane frowned, unsure whether this was progress or a step backwards, but pushed on regardless.

She knew she was out of her depth, and needed help.


	23. Chapter 23

Hi all!

I was so chuffed to read your latest comments and PMs. I really appreciate the people who have taken the time to reach out, you have no idea how much it brightens my day and encourages me to put out the next chapter ASAP!

If anyone has any questions about anything in the story, feel free to message me and ask. I realise there's been a few technical-ish things in the past few chapters, and that will probably continue for a while. Everything isn't explained yet, so for some things you'll just have to be patient!

Special thanks to JaneyGWF for her beta services, she's been particularly busy lately but still makes time to get these chapters out to you guys on time, because she's awesome!

I hope you enjoy!

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As they walked, Jane couldn't help glancing back at Maura to check on her wellbeing every few seconds. Every time she did, she was met with a vacant expression, and her heart clenched painfully at the sight. It was so different from Maura's usual intelligent gaze. There was no sign of intellect, no curiosity about the events unfolding around her. She was simply followed obediently, hanging off Jane's arm like a child. Jane couldn't remember a time when she'd been more worried, or closer to complete panic and despair.

After around twenty minutes of walking, Jane suddenly felt Maura yank her arm out of her grasp. Jane spun around, ready to chase Maura if she'd bolted, but instead found Maura crouching behind her, growling at something in the trees. Jane looked in the direction of Maura's glare, but couldn't see anything. Closing her eyes had the same result, until she noticed a blur of colour moving rapidly through the trees.

Jane had just realised the blur was a vampire and stepped in front of Maura when a shape broke through the trees, stopping a few metres from the duo. Jane opened her eyes, taking in the sight of a female vampire, apparently around twenty five when she was turned. She was wearing a nice business suit and her bright red hair was curled in a twist at the back of her head. She looked like a typical office worker, complete with a pair of thick rimmed glasses perched on her nose.

Jane bristled and pushed Maura behind her more firmly, not trusting the cheerful smile on the woman's face. She noticed the other vampire's eyes were red, which to Jane indicated an enemy. She found herself regretting her decision to leave the gun with Frankie, since she seriously doubted her ability to protect Maura against a hostile vampire without it.

The woman held her hands up in a calming gesture, her voice perky and enthusiastic. "Hello, I'm Betty. Please, I'm here to talk, not fight. Would you mind giving me a moment of your time?"

Jane looked at her doubtfully. "Why? What do you want?"

Betty lowered her arms and smiled, her red eyes glittering in the starlight. "I want to help."

Jane gave her a searching look, glancing back at Maura to check on her. She realised Maura was still crouched, seemingly torn between attacking and running. Jane grabbed her hand, patting it gently in reassurance, which seemed to calm Maura. She settled back onto her haunches without letting go of Jane's hand, remaining behind Jane and fixing her eyes warily on the other vampire.

Jane frowned and turned back to Betty with a distrustful stare. "Thanks for the offer, but I have no idea who you are. So far I haven't had great luck with red eyed vampires, so I think we'll be on our way. Please don't follow us."

Betty smiled indulgently. "Okay, but just so you know, you don't have enough time to make it to the Cullens. And they couldn't help you even if you did."

Jane pulled Maura closer, only to scream Maura's name in panic when she felt Maura topple over, face planting into the ground. Jane immediately crouched next to Maura and rolled her onto her back, immediately noticing the return of her chalky skin and vacant stare. She looked almost as bad as when Jane had first gotten her to drink some blood. Jane shook her frantically, and realised Maura was completely unresponsive again.

Betty kneeled next to Maura, touching her hand briefly before standing back up and crossing her arms. "As I said, we don't have time to get help. You need to help her here and now, or she'll die."

Jane looked back at Betty, realising she didn't have much choice. She couldn't let Maura die, and a glance with her second vision showed Maura's energy to be dangerously low, although her body still seemed to be drawing sustenance from the remaining blood in her system. It just didn't seem to be keeping up with the drain on her reserves any more.

Jane forced herself to be civil, and gave Betty a brisk nod. The woman smiled widely, speaking in a polite but assertive tone. "Super! I'm a representative of an organisation that has been following your movements for quite some time now."

Jane sputtered out a pained reply, still gripping Maura's shoulders in dismay. "What organisation?"

Betty looked at Jane thoughtfully, before flicking her eyes to Maura. "Maybe explanations are better left until after we've dealt with this little situation, hm? For now, just trust that we know what's going on and have a possible way to help."

When Jane glared at her in disgust, Betty dropped her hands, her voice losing its perky tone and becoming suddenly serious. "I am truly sorry for everything you've both gone through. You've had to deal with a lot, and you've had no help at all. I just want to do everything I can to get her through this."

Jane opened her mouth to argue, but thought better of it when she caught a brief flash of pity in Betty's expression. "You said you could help?"

Betty winced as she looked more closely at Maura. "I said I wanted to help. I can't guarantee that I can help. But I suspect you're not in any position to turn away any assistance at this point. Please understand, the Cullens can't help you. Nobody else in the world can help you. I know you have no reason to trust me, but she doesn't have much time."

Jane felt another sharp pang of guilt and grief rip through her before she turned back to Betty in resignation. "How did you even know I needed help? How did you find us?"

Betty squealed girlishly when she heard the acceptance in Jane's voice under the irate questions, her bouncy manner returning instantly. She smiled knowingly and waved her arm dismissively, her prim mannerisms completely out of place in the dark forest. "More things to discuss later. I promise I'll explain everything you want to know, after we help Maura. Is that acceptable?"

Jane sighed and nodded, too worried about Maura to continue asking questions. Despite the fact that there was no logical reason to trust Betty, Jane's gut was telling her that she had no choice. "What do we do?"

Betty grinned widely at Jane's acceptance and stepped forward. "Unfortunately, this will all be on you. I'm just going to help you figure out what to do."

Jane frowned and sputtered in confusion, only to be interrupted by another carefree wave from Betty. "Really, you argue far too much. It's exhausting. Now, stay there, I'll be back in a moment."

Betty zipped away before Jane could respond, leaving her alone with Maura's still form. Jane pulled her into an awkward hug and started stroking her hair, muttering empty reassurances while she anxiously surveyed the trees.

After only a few seconds, Betty reappeared, holding a cardboard box in her arms and smiling obnoxiously. "Okay! Sit down, we're going to do some exercises! It's time to learn how to use your vampire powers!"

Jane couldn't help rolling her eyes at Betty's demeanour. She sounded like she should be running a workout video, not helping someone save their best friend from a life threatening condition. However, she gently laid Maura down next to her and sat as instructed, watching warily as Betty put the box on the ground next to her.

Betty stood back up and faced Jane, her hands perched on her hips as she continued barking instructions like a flight attendant. "Okay! Now, I need you to close your eyes. Tell me what you see."

Jane frowned at the annoyingly peppy woman out of principle, before following her direction and closing her eyes. "I see you. I see the forest behind you. I see Maura."

Jane gasped as she realised the dark spot in Maura's head had gotten worse, even in the few minutes since she'd last looked. The black tendrils had spread further, and they seemed to be drawing in energy from the surrounding areas more quickly than before.

Jane opened her eyes, catching a worried look on Betty's face before it was smoothed over with a reassuring smile. "Good, Jane. Now, I need you to keep your eyes closed. Focus on me and tell me exactly what you see."

Jane obeyed again, and concentrated on Betty's bright image. She could see the energy moving around her body much more smoothly than Maura's. Her brain was lit up with swirling currents and a kaleidoscope of colours, all seeming to move harmoniously and cohesively. Betty's entire form was an order of magnitude brighter than Maura, almost blindingly bright against the contrast of the forest around them.

Jane grimaced in horror as she realised just how damaged Maura was. Betty bent down and put a gentle hand on Jane's arm, her voice serious again. "I know, she must look bad. I've seen this condition before, not with your particular sense, but I've seen the results."

Jane opened her eyes again, meeting Betty's concerned gaze. "And how did they get better?"

Betty's grim look said it all. Jane hung her head, gripping Maura's hand tightly. Maura didn't respond, continuing to lay on the ground without a twitch.

Betty sighed and waved at Jane again, getting her to close her eyes once more. "Now, Jane, this is important. I want you to focus on my brain. There should be a section in the centre, between the hemispheres and to the back of the thalamus. I want you to watch what happens when I use my power."

Jane nodded, concentrating on the area she guessed Betty was talking about. She couldn't exactly see sections of the brain, but she had a suspicion that she was supposed to be looking at the same area that was killing Maura.

Suddenly the picture changed. The whole area lit up, drawing energy from the surrounding brain matter and directing energy out of Betty's body. Jane watched as the stream of energy came towards her, then wrapped around her entire body.

Jane tried to open her mouth to ask what Betty was doing, but found that she couldn't move. Even her eyes seemed to be frozen, and she started to panic. The paralysis only lasted a moment, however, and Jane watched the energy retreat back into Betty, the area of her brain settling back to its usual intensity as the effect dissipated.

Jane opened her eyes and fell back, instinctively pulling Maura closer to her side. "What the hell was that?"

Betty stood up and walked back a few paces, her hands held up in surrender again. "I have the power to paralyse people. That's it, they are simply frozen. I can't hurt them, or do anything to their minds. They just freeze until I reverse the effect."

Jane nodded and looked at Maura, wishing she could ask her what she thought of all this. Instead, she sighed and turned back to Betty. "So, I could see your power working. Fine. How does that help Maura?"

Betty smiled and stepped closer again. "I'm assuming that you saw my thalamus vampirus activate."

Jane stared in complete confusion, which Betty took as an invitation to explain in a ridiculously cheerful manner. "Oh! Of course, sorry. The thalamus vampirus is what we've named a section of the thalamus that seems to be the biological origin of all vampiric powers. You won't find it on any anatomy charts though, human medical science hasn't realised the purpose of that particular section of the brain just yet. As far as we can tell, all humans have a thalamus vampirus, but the connections to the rest of the brain vary from person to person."

Jane felt a bit thrown by the sudden influx of information, but Betty continued on undeterred. "There is a strong genetic component to the type of connections, which determines whether someone will develop a mentally based power, like me, or an energy based power, like you. There are also multiple environmental and developmental factors that can influence the way the thalamus vampirus operates once someone has been turned. Also some humans can access abilities before they are turned, usually presenting as a sixth sense, vague future telling or strong empathy, but it is extremely rare for a human to exhibit true vampiric abilities. It has been documented, however, and it is becoming more common with time."

Betty realised she was losing Jane and waved her hands apologetically. "Sorry, I digress. The point is, there's a section of the brain which directly controls vampire abilities, and coordinates those abilities with our senses. Now, our theory is that vampires who overuse their abilities somehow damage the thalamus vampirus, and that cascades out to destroy the rest of their neural structures."

Jane nodded in agreement, knowing that her explanation exactly fitted everything she'd seen in Maura's head. She hadn't exactly followed all the medical speak, but she'd gotten the gist. "So when Maura tried to help me, she gave herself brain damage?"

Betty nodded sadly. "And we've never been able to treat it before. We've seen this condition as a result of both energy and mental power overuse, and the end result is the same. However, we've never met any vampires with your particular skill set, which is why we still have some hope in this case. We're hoping you might be able to succeed where generations of vampires have failed."

Jane glanced at Maura's still form again, doubt filling her as she understood the magnitude of the problem. "How the hell can I help? I can see the problem, sure, but what good does that do? I'm nobody special, I'm just a cop from Boston. I'm a plumber's daughter, not a super-vampire who can magically fix someone's brain!"

As she answered, Betty reached into the cardboard box and pulled out a colourfully painted pot with a cactus inside, cheerfully ignoring Jane's baffled expression. "You're more special than you know, and quite unique. What you need to understand, Jane, is that you can't only see energy. You can manipulate it."

Jane stopped staring at the cactus and gaped at Betty in bewilderment. "Manipulate?"

Betty nodded and held out the cactus. "Look at the energy in the cactus. Tell me what you see."

Jane sighed and obeyed, her second vision becoming more focussed the more she used it. "I see it drawing energy from the roots, and distributing it around the plant. It's weird, the cactus looks kind of similar to vampire energy, or at least it's closer than the other plants around here."

Betty grinned in agreement. "That's because it's not a regular cactus. It's a vampire cactus, a special hybrid that we created."

Jane opened her eyes and leaned away from the plant warily. "Are you kidding me? What, does it drink blood and shoot thorns at people?"

Betty rolled her eyes and giggled, horrifying Jane a little more. "Oh will you relax? Of course not! It drinks water and absorbs sunlight, just like any other cactus. However, its internal structure is similar to ours, a crystalline lattice arrangement. Don't worry, the only way it could hurt you is if I threw it at you."

Jane was still leaning away hesitantly, so Betty dropped her cheerful tone again to reassure her. "Jane, vampires aren't monsters by their intrinsic nature. We only act the way we do because of our learned behaviours and our vestigial instincts. It's the human in us that makes us monsters, not the vampire."

Maura had postulated something very similar earlier that day when she was trying to understand Jane's newborn nature, which was the only thing that made Jane accept Betty's reassurances about the cactus. She had to admit that the plant didn't seem threatening, it just looked like a normal plant until she used her second vision. Sighing in resignation, Jane sat up and closed her eyes again.

Jane frowned as she noticed a dark spot. "Wait. I can see something wrong with it. Near the top, there's a dead patch."

Betty nodded, her energy pulsing in what Jane assumed was excitement. "Great! Okay, I'm going to put the cactus down and take Maura over here a bit. I want you to try and feed energy back into that spot. Try to fix the cactus."

Jane grew immediately suspicious, opening her eyes and pulling Maura close. "Why do you need to take Maura?"

Betty bit her lip, wincing as she worked out how to phrase her next statement. "Well, I understand it can sometimes be hard to concentrate on something when there's people right next to you. I'll just be over here so I don't distract you. Just try to restore the plant, but don't overdo it. Take it slow."

Before Jane could protest, Betty bent down, deposited the cactus next to Jane and gathered Maura into her arms, snagging her cardboard box as she dashed into the trees. Jane watched her carefully put Maura down on the ground and turn back to give a peppy thumbs up.

Jane rolled her eyes in exasperation, still not quite understanding Betty. She seemed so cavalier at times, like a sorority girl without a care in the world, but then she would suddenly turn serious, her manner speaking to a harder and more complicated life than her façade suggested. Jane didn't think she was out to hurt them, but she also suspected there was a lot more to Betty's helpfulness than simple charity or compassion.

Putting aside the mystery of Betty for the moment, Jane focussed on the cactus. She could clearly see every millimetre of the plant, both inside and out, and she could see the dark spot corrupting its form. It looked very similar to Maura's dark spot, black and ominous, and sapping the energy insidiously from the rest of the plant. Jane took a moment to desperately hope that Betty was right, and she could actually do this.

Jane didn't quite know how to go about feeding energy into a vampiric cactus, so she tried pushing at it with her mind, and immediately felt ridiculous when nothing happened. She huffed in frustration, then tried again, pushing her whole consciousness towards the plant.

When it failed to even twitch, Jane slapped her leg in frustration, before looking back at Betty desperately. "Nothing's happening! I think you might be wrong about me! I can't do this!"

Betty rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Try touching it. It's not going to bite, I promise. Just watch out for the spines, they're pretty sharp."

Jane felt silly, remembering how much clearer the picture of Maura's energy had seemed when Jane had touched her head. She picked up the cactus, carefully manoeuvring a finger in between the spines and touching the hard skin of the plant.

When she closed her eyes, she could feel the connection with the cactus. There were tiny exchanges of energy sparking between them without her trying to force them. She took a deep breath and focussed on the dark spot, pushing with all her might to try and get something to happen.

The result was immediate. A deafening explosion knocked her flying, her body flipping several times before crashing into and through the nearest tree. Jane could feel the forest breaking around her as she skidded to a halt, her limbs tangled and her skin burning. She yelled in pain, carefully flexing her arms and discovering that they still worked. There were faint cracks interspersed across the skin of her hands and arms, but they were quickly sealing and repairing themselves. She brushed her hair out of her face, finding it all still attached but full of debris from the exploded cactus.

Gingerly climbing to her feet, she slowly walked back to ground zero, finding a smoking crater at the spot she'd been sitting. Betty was standing next to it, frantically looking into the forest and yelling for Jane. When she spotted Jane stumbling towards her, Betty sighed in relief before bursting into laughter.

Jane ignored her and continued walking, feeling the need to check on Maura and delay any discussion of her failed attempt. Maura was still lying on the ground, immobile and unresponsive, but it didn't look like the explosion had done any additional damage. Jane closed her eyes, seeing by the dim light of Maura's mind that they were almost out of time.

Returning to Betty, Jane couldn't keep the anger out of her voice. "You want me to try that on Maura? I'll kill her!"

Betty had sobered in the few seconds Jane had been gone, her serious manner back. "No, you won't. I brought the cacti so you would have the chance to understand your powers, before trying it on an actual person. You just overdid things, gave it too much energy at once, so of course the cactus exploded. Next time, ease into it. Be gentle."

Betty held out another cactus and stepped towards Maura, before pausing and turning back with a stern expression. "You have to keep trying. Or she'll die. And that would be a tragedy beyond anything you could understand right now."

Jane frowned at that last comment, sensing again that Betty's motives went a lot deeper than simply wanting to help. Clearly she expected something, and it sounded like Maura was the one she expected it from.

However, Jane found she didn't care why Betty was helping Maura, as long as she did. Sitting down once more, she concentrated on the new cactus, finding a similar dark spot.

This time she pushed with the gentlest mental touch she could manage, and saw energy start to trickle out of her hand and into the cactus. She felt her skin tingle, the sensation slowly spreading along her arm, but resolutely maintained her concentration, keeping the amount of energy constant. She saw the stream of light connect with the dead spot and disappear, and kept the flow going, watching more and more energy vanish as if it was being fed into a black hole.

After a few minutes, Betty called out for her to stop. Jane pulled her hand away and opened her eyes, noticing with alarm that her skin had turned chalky in patches along her arm. Betty had obviously seen the damage as well, and carefully inspected the cactus before speaking. "So, how did you go?"

Jane flexed her hand, noticing a bit of stiffness in the damaged arm, and replied with a saddened voice. "I thought I was getting somewhere, but it didn't seem to make a difference. I fed a whole chunk of energy in, very slowly, but the dead spot just absorbed it and didn't get better."

Betty nodded thoughtfully, zipping back to her cardboard box and returning with a blood bag, clearly marked with the logo of a blood bank. "I think the key might be finding a balance between too much and too little. You've tried both, and we've seen the results. Now try to find the happy medium."

Jane looked at the offered blood bag with distaste, glancing between it and her arm uncertainly. Betty noticed, and ripped the lid off the bag impatiently. She was floored when Jane continued to hesitate.

Betty pushed the blood bag into Jane's face, and stumbled away in amazement when she pushed it away stubbornly. "You're less than a day old. That's incredible."

Betty glanced back at Maura, her face filled with wonder, before turning back to Jane. "You really have no idea what she's done for you. How lucky you are. You have the choice none of us ever did. We can't help but be monsters, but you can."

Jane sighed guiltily as she nodded in agreement. Betty frowned and pushed the blood bag back under Jane's nose. "You owe it to her to try and fix this. And in order to try, you need to recover your strength. Have you even fed since you woke up?"

Jane shrugged doubtfully. "I had about two mouthfuls of a bear I found for Maura."

Betty rolled her eyes. "No wonder you started draining yourself. Drink all of that, and we'll try again."

Jane nodded in surrender, taking one last disgusted look at the bag before starting to drink. The liquid tasted exquisite, better than the nicest cup of coffee she'd ever had, but she still felt like herself, despite the fact that she knew she was drinking human blood. She finished the bag as quickly as possible, wanting to get it over with, and sheepishly handed it back to Betty when she was done. Betty wordlessly took the empty bag and replaced it with the cactus before returning to Maura's side.

Jane took a deep breath, feeling her body recharging from the intake of blood, and touched the cactus again, immediately pushing energy into the spot at a higher rate than before. She saw a bright spot flaring up and carefully dialled the flow back, pushing and pulling on the energy stream until it seemed stable.

Finally, after several minutes of experimentation, the black spot started to recede. Jane smiled and kept up the assault, barraging the dead area with as much energy as she could without causing another explosion. She watched the blackness shrink away, and all of a sudden the cactus was clean and bright again.

Jane was about to open her eyes and call Betty when the cactus suddenly flared, excess energy sparking from Jane's hands into the plant. She immediately pulled her hand away, and opened her eyes to find a large split along the body of the cactus.

Betty was at her side immediately, inspecting the damage. "Okay, this is progress. It looks like you managed to fix the damage, but you held on a bit too long and overcharged it. I think it will heal, it just needs some time."

The spent the next hour or so experimenting with more cacti, interspersed with more blood bags to keep up Jane's strength. She had gotten the hang of the healing procedure after about three cacti, figuring out how to dial down the flow of energy when the black spots were about to disappear so she didn't overfill the plant with borrowed energy. When she put down the last cactus, she had three failures and seven successes sitting in front of her, as well as the exploded one which was in too many pieces to even try to find.

Betty had been brimming with excitement and enthusiasm for the last hour, but suddenly she became deadly serious again. "Jane, it's time. It's now or never. You have to try to help her."

Jane nodded, having reached the same conclusion as well. She grabbed the second last blood bag Betty had brought and quickly drained it, having lost her aversion to the thought of drinking blood over the course of several bags accompanied by the sight of Maura's energy ebbing away. Her last peek had shown that Betty had been correct, and that Maura was out of time.

Betty squeezed her shoulder in encouragement, before moving into position at Maura's feet. She would be on hand to use her power on Maura, in case she started to move while Jane was still working on her. They were hoping to avoid that situation if possible, since they had no idea if Betty's power would interfere with Jane's.

Jane knelt on the ground and gathered Maura into her arms, carefully laying her head in her lap. She looked so fragile, and Jane couldn't help one last plea. "Please let this work. Maura, please come back to me. I can't do this without you."

Putting her hands on Maura's head, Jane closed her eyes and started to concentrate.


	24. Chapter 24

Hi all!

First up, thanks for the encouragement from the last chapter! I apologise for not getting this update done on Sunday, I'm away for work at the moment so it may happen again. I appreciate you sticking with me despite the suspense!

Thanks as always to the ever awesome JaneyGWF for betaing!

Enjoy and please let me know any thoughts!

* * *

Jane was thoroughly terrified at the thought of what she was about to attempt, but she was also fervently determined not to fail. Maura had given everything she had in order to save Jane, and Jane would do no less in return.

She was still filled with doubt about her abilities, even though she had seen the results. She found it impossible to believe that she might be the only one to have the power to do this, out of every vampire ever created. She could think of hundreds of people who were smarter, stronger, braver, and more important than she was.

But apparently, for some unknown and statistically unlikely reason, she was exactly what Maura needed right now. She wouldn't stop until she had her best friend back, explaining in far too many long words how any of this was possible.

Jane had decided to trust Betty, even though she knew almost nothing about her. She worked for some mysterious organisation, and she somehow knew everything about her and Maura. She knew how Jane's powers worked better than she did. She understood that Maura had saved her from succumbing to vampire instincts at the cost of her own sanity. And she had known all of this far enough in advance to bring a box of blood and vampire cactuses to practice on.

All of that had been shoved aside in Jane's mind, as none of it mattered until Maura was better. With that not-so-comforting thought, Jane pushed all her doubts to the farthest corner of her mind and threw all her concentration into the procedure.

She started out slowly, gently, carefully. Her energy drifted into Maura's head, finding its way through the deadened sections and meeting the black tendrils with a fizzle. Jane immediately felt the difference between this dead spot and the ones in the cactuses. They had been like a kitchen sink, casually swallowing any energy that came close enough like water down a pipe. The one in Maura's head felt like a ravenous black hole, actively pulling Jane's energy through their link and devouring it instantly.

Jane gritted her teeth and pushed harder, directing a more forceful surge of energy through her hands. The darkness responded, absorbing all of it, but she didn't relent, turning up the pressure until she finally felt a sort of equilibrium establish itself. Carefully checking for any surges and finding nothing alarming, Jane pushed just a little harder, hoping that she could overpower the dead zone and start to make some progress.

It worked. She could feel the blackness starting to retreat before her assault. She carefully monitored the flow, ensuring that she kept on top of any fluctuations. The dark tendrils reaching into Maura's brain retracted slowly, leaving dull lifeless pathways behind them. Whenever one reached the central mass of the damage, Jane was forced to quickly adjust the amount of force she was using, repeatedly checking for any bright spots. She was terrified of causing a chain reaction inside Maura's brain, so her vigilance and attention to detail had to be perfect.

After what felt like hours, the black mass had retreated to a tiny spot. Jane slowed the flow of energy to the minimum level, cautious of any overcharging. At the lesser rate it took a long time to fully extinguish the blackness, but finally the last of it vanished.

Jane let out a breath she'd been holding as she was filled with relief. She'd done it.

She pulled her hands away from Maura's head carefully, still watching for anything she'd missed. The damage seemed to be repaired, as there were no remaining black dead areas. Maura's energy hadn't returned to normal, but it wasn't actively disappearing either. Her body seemed to be almost fully recovered, but the energy wasn't making its way to her brain. Jane watched for several minutes, hoping that Maura's body would take over, but she soon worked out that nothing was changing.

Jane frowned and looked to Betty for answers. "What do I do now? The damage seems to be gone, but she's not waking up."

Betty bit her lip and looked at Maura worriedly. "I'm not sure. I thought this would be enough, it seemed to work with the plants. Maybe you need to jump start her brain? Give it a boost?"

Jane huffed in frustration. "I split open those cactuses every time I overfilled them! I can't risk splitting open her head!"

Betty nodded, her face crumpled in thought. "Maybe she needs more blood."

Betty quickly rummaged through the box and grabbed the last blood bag, handing it to Jane. Without hesitation, Jane opened it and poured a mouthful past Maura's lips.

Despite waiting several minutes, there was no reaction. Maura didn't even stir, despite having a mouthful of human blood.

Jane looked at Betty in despair, her nerves past the point of coping. "Help me! Do something!"

Betty seemed heartbroken, the pity obvious in her eyes as she looked between the two of them. "I don't know what to do, except to try to recharge her brain. Gently as you can. I've never been in this situation before, I don't know what else to try! I'm sorry!"

Jane nodded sadly, stroking Maura's hair affectionately before moving her hands back into position.

Betty made Jane jump when she yelled for her to wait, shrinking to the ground apologetically when Jane glared. "I'm sorry, but I just had a thought. If this has any chance of working, you'll probably want to start from the brainstem and work your way out. Restore basic motor functions, then senses, then higher functions like memory and speech. Otherwise you might completely confuse her. Understand?"

Jane nodded and took another deep breath, moving her hands to Maura's head once more.

She started with the barest trickle of energy. She felt it tingling along her fingers, and dialled it back as far as possible. The sight of split open cactuses was too fresh in her mind, and she knew the same could happen to Maura if she wasn't careful.

She sent the first tentative sparks into Maura's spine, at the point where her brain connected to the rest of her body. That seemed to be the point of resistance, the point where her natural healing was being stopped.

It took what felt like an eternity, but finally Jane saw a beautiful sight. One by one, excruciatingly slowly, Maura's cells started lighting up, as if someone had found the light switch.

Jane squashed any excitement, maintaining her complete concentration and keeping the rate steady. She must have sat there for hours, feeding those little spots of hope gently, progressing up her spine and into her brain, before there was any noticeable change.

When the change came, however, it was impossible to mistake. Maura suddenly opened her eyes and lurched out of Jane's grip, swallowing the blood in her mouth and lunging for the bag sitting next to Betty. Jane barely managed to stop an uncontrolled burst of energy from escaping her hands, her surprise almost costing all of them dearly. Betty was shocked as well, being foolish enough in her surprise to reach out for Maura while she was feeding. Unsurprisingly, she received a powerful punch in the face in response. Jane watched as Betty landed on her back with a huff, before warily rolling onto her knees, wisely waiting until Maura had finished the bag before moving towards her again.

Maura snarled angrily as soon as Betty tried to approach, making Jane's heart sink. Maura seemed to have regressed to her feral state once again, showing no signs of recognition when she spat and hissed at both of them. With a pang of despair, Jane briefly considered the possibility that she had really lost Maura, even after all this.

Betty seemed to have had enough of playing nice, and she waved a hand at Maura, freezing her in place. The irate woman brushed off her suit, tutting when she found a tear in the sleeve and looking at Jane in exasperation. "Well, I never! Such rudeness when we're simply trying to help!"

Jane huffed out a discouraged breath before answering, not bothering to move off the ground. "She can't help it. She's not really like this. She's the nicest, kindest and most polite person you'll ever meet."

Jane stood up and kicked weakly at the ground in frustration. "I hate seeing her like this. It's so wrong. And so unfair. She's been through enough."

Betty sighed and gave Jane a sympathetic look. "Come on, you're making progress. Keep it up."

Jane closed her eyes and looked at Maura, trying to really see the changes with a more objective mindset. Maura definitely did look better, at least in the areas Jane had reached, which was all of her brainstem and some of her brains central mass. Betty was right, and there was simply more work to be done.

With a sigh, Jane nodded at Betty and opened her eyes. She suddenly realised that night had passed while she'd been working on Maura and it was now the next day, with the sun starting to illuminate their strange little gathering. She shook off her melancholy mood and tried to regain her determination. "Alright, I'll keep trying."

Maura was still being restrained remotely by Betty, crouched and frozen mid-snarl. Jane walked behind her, careful to avoid breaking the line of sight between Betty and Maura. She reached out for Maura's head, closing her eyes as she made contact.

Unfortunately, the moment she connected with Maura, Jane felt Betty's power wash over her and her body freeze. She tried to fight against the force holding her in place, or at least to use her power despite being restrained, but it was useless. Her mind was being held inside her own body, and she was powerless.

It took longer than it probably should have for Betty to realise what had happened. After several very long minutes, she let out an embarrassed squeak and released both of them. Maura immediately turned and leaped towards Betty with a growl, but Betty was fortunately faster, paralysing Maura again as soon as Jane was clear. Maura tipped over and landed face down on the ground, her limbs tangled awkwardly where they fell.

Jane instinctively moved to make Maura more comfortable, but a quick cough from Betty reminded her that she couldn't touch her. Jane grimaced at the position Maura was in, but tried to remember that she didn't need to breathe, so it would do no harm to anything but her dignity.

Betty stood over Maura with her hands on her hips, looking completely put out. Jane almost found it funny, seeing someone so prim and proper react so poorly to being 'mistreated', but the seriousness of the situation prevented her from finding any humour.

Instead, she squared her shoulders and stepped between the two, crouching defensively in front of Betty. "Let her go. We obviously can't do this using your power, so we'll have to do it the hard way. I'll wrestle her down and try to calm her a bit, then you'll have to hold her down. Once she's secured, I'll do my thing again. Clear?"

Betty's expression suggested Jane had just asked her to suck a lemon, but she eventually sighed and nodded. Jane nodded back, signalling her readiness.

The moment Betty released her grip, Maura was spinning around and attacking again. This time, Jane was ready for her. She used the same grip as the first time they'd fought, using all of her newborn strength to force Maura's hands behind her back and her face into the dirt. The hold worked again, and Maura started to thrash in Jane's grip relentlessly.

As before, Jane held on, whispering reassurances into Maura's ear as she restrained her. Betty waited until Maura started to calm before stepping in, carefully moving her hands next to Jane's and taking her position. It took a few tries, but the pair eventually switched positions, with Maura still restrained.

When Maura stopped struggling and started staring daggers at Betty, Jane took the opportunity to move into place and started her task again, resuming exactly where she'd left off. Fortunately it looked as though Maura's premature awakening hadn't done any damage, as the cells Jane had managed to activate were still lit up.

Maura tried to shake Betty off four times in the next few hours, each instance requiring Jane to cease her efforts and help restrain her stubborn patient. However, each time she returned to her task, it was with more hope, as Jane could see how much healthier Maura looked with each passing hour. The last time Maura had tried to escape, it had taken a concerted effort from both of them to wrestle her to the ground, because her tactics were getting smarter.

By the time Jane had completed all the inner areas of Maura's brain, with the exception of her thalamus vampirus after Betty's suggestion to leave it until last, Maura had finally stopped struggling and glaring. She seemed content to sit within Betty's iron grip and watch Jane curiously, her red eyes flicking over Jane's face and hands with interest. Jane paused briefly before she moved on to the outer lobes of Maura's brain, almost unable to contain her joy when she saw a faint spark of intelligence in Maura's eyes.

At Jane's request, Betty loosened her grip and rolled Maura onto her back, so she could look up rather than having her face pressed into the dirt. Maura didn't fight at all, simply glancing between her two companions curiously. Betty repositioned herself so she could still hold Maura if necessary, but not as harshly as before.

When Jane started on the cerebellum, the outer lobes of the brain, Maura started getting restless again. She flexed against Betty's restraining grip, a worried frown enveloping her features. As Jane continued, Maura let out a pained groan, the first sound she'd uttered in days that wasn't a growl or a snarl.

Jane paused for a moment, checking her work for any mistakes, but she couldn't see any bright spots that might have indicated an overcharge. When Maura didn't make any further protests, Jane kept going carefully.

A few minutes later, Maura started murmuring quietly. Jane immediately stopped and bent down next to Maura's face, trying to understand. Unfortunately Maura had fallen silent as soon as Jane moved.

Jane glanced at Betty with a questioning look, which was met with a shrug. "Jane, I have no idea how this is supposed to work. This might be a good sign, maybe you're reactivating her speech centre. But I'd suggest you stop stopping, I doubt it's helping. Whatever happens, unless she's screaming in pain, just keep going."

Jane sighed and nodded, returning to her task for what she hoped was the last time. Betty stepped away unobtrusively, as it seemed that Maura had finished struggling.

As soon as Jane connected with Maura again, a stream of gibberish started spewing from Maura's mouth, but Jane didn't let it distract her this time. Maura's voice still sounded raspy from the scarring on her throat, but it didn't seem to be getting worse.

Gradually the mush of consonants and vowels became actual words. "Boat. Axolotl. Longitudinal. Multidimensional. Arrow. Game. Goat. Sydney. Shoes. Gun. Verisimilitude. Hand. Hat…"

Jane heard Betty snort a few times at the random assortment of word salad, but Jane didn't allow herself to notice the absurdity of Maura's ramblings. She just hoped it meant Maura was relearning all of those words, not that they were getting scrambled together and losing their meanings.

Rather abruptly, Jane realised the words were starting to make sense, or at least as much sense as anything technical out of Maura's mouth ever made sense. "The veins convey the blood from the capillaries of the different parts of the body to the heart. They consist of two distinct sets of vessels, the pulmonary and systemic. The pulmonary veins, unlike other veins, contain arterial blood, which they return from the lungs to the left atrium of the heart. The systemic veins return the venous blood from the body generally to the right atrium of the heart. The portal vein, an appendage to the systemic venous system, is confined to the abdominal cavity…"

Jane smiled despite herself, basking in the sound of Maura spewing random facts. It sounded like she was reciting a medical text or something, which hopefully meant Jane was reactivating those memories. She felt greatly reassured that words were coming out of Maura's mouth in something resembling a sentence, and resolved to keep going no matter what else followed.

Eventually, as Jane progressed through various sections of her brain, Maura stopped reciting medical facts in English and moved on to Serbian, followed by French, followed by something Jane assumed to be an African language she'd never heard before. Jane had no idea if the words coming out of her friend's mouth were sentences, word salad, or poetry, but she still didn't sound like she was in pain. She had reactivated more than half of Maura's cerebellum, and could see the end of the ordeal slowly approaching. As much as she wanted to get this over with, Jane was determined to keep up the gentle and safe pace she'd established.

Eventually, Maura switched back to English, and Jane realised she must have reached Maura's personal memory centres when she heard the next words. "I don't want to leave. I know I'll miss them terribly, and I won't fit in. But I don't think I have any alternative. I can't let her find out. She can't know."

Jane frowned, not knowing what Maura was talking about, but whatever it was sounded bad. Maura sounded strained as she spoke, as if the subject of her rambling words still pained her greatly.

Unfortunately, she did understand the next panicked scramble of words, which were accompanied by frantic screams. "No! He's coming! I know what he's going to do, he told me, he said he'd…but Jane can't help me, she shouldn't have to. She's already beaten this monster, it should be someone else's turn! He should be dead! She should have killed him! Why am I so useless, I can't even move! No, no, he's cutting me, it hurts! Jane! It hurts!"

Jane couldn't help gasping at the raw fear in Maura's voice, but she continued on regardless. Maura's next words were resigned and sad. "I knew this day would come. I've always had this secret compulsion lurking in my DNA, and it's finally emerged. I might not remember doing it, but I killed someone. I'll go to jail, and nobody will be able to help me, because it's where I need to be. Monsters can't be outside, with the normal people. We belong in the dark."

There was only a quarter of Maura's cerebellum to go when the next desolate and grief-stricken words sounded. "Maybe I should just end it all. Right now, while there's nobody here. It would be easier. But no, I can't. Jane should have that right. If anyone deserves to kill me, to have that closure, it's her. She's been so good to me and gotten so little in return, the least she should have is the opportunity to choose my fate. Her mother's murderer. Yes, she should have the chance to decide. I'll gladly do it. I owe her everything. I'm so sorry, Angela."

Jane gritted her teeth and pushed on, finishing the last few cells carefully despite everything in her being wanting to finish faster, so she could stop hearing Maura's darkest moments spill out of her mouth with such unguarded honesty. Jane had known that Maura struggled with dark thoughts, especially after Hoyt, Dennis and everything that had happened after Maura's part in her mother's death, but she had tried not to think about it. Thinking about it hurt too much.

Maura tensed and screamed in anguish. "No! Not more human blood! I don't want to remember how good it tastes, how overwhelmingly powerful it feels! What if I can't resist it again? What if I kill someone else? I'll never forgive myself. Jane won't forgive me, no, she'll realise she shouldn't have forgiven me for her mother's death. She'll leave, and I'll be alone. I should be alone. I've always been alone, it's what I deserve. I don't know why it still scares me, I should be used to it, but somehow it still does. I can't stand it anymore, I just can't. Please, Jane, don't leave me."

With a final determined push, Jane finished her work on the thalamus vampirus and released her hold on Maura. She let out a gasping breath, stunned by how much desperate emotion had been contained in Maura's last words. She also realised that, despite being a newborn vampire with immense power and stamina, she was completely mentally exhausted. She hadn't counted the number of hours since she'd started working on Maura, but it had been a draining and prolonged strain on her entire being.

Despite desperately wanting to lay down and drift into a coma of her own, Jane carefully inspected every square millimetre of Maura's body with her second sight. She found herself sighing in relief when it all looked bright and cohesive, like Betty. Nothing remained of the crippling darkness and inactive cells that had plagued Maura's form since before Jane had awoken to her new life.

With trepidation, Jane opened her eyes and found Maura looking up at her, skin shimmering in the afternoon sun. Her blood red eyes were fixed on Jane's face, and she looked confused.

Jane cautiously smiled at her friend, letting hope bleed into her heart for the first time in many hours. "Maura?"

For a few moments, Maura stared back blankly, with no recognition or understanding. But then, Jane saw a beautiful sight. The confusion cleared and a familiar smile spread across Maura's face as she sat up off the ground. "Jane?"

Jane melted inside with relief as she gently touched Maura's smile, revelling in the sight of her best friend looking back at her. "There you are! God Maura, don't ever do that to me again!"

Jane let out a victorious yell and pulled Maura into a desperate hug, one which was enthusiastically returned. She didn't know which of them squealed with joy, nor did she particularly care. She was too darn happy.

Maura was okay. Whatever else was going on, whatever the consequences of their situation, it didn't matter, because Maura was okay.


	25. Chapter 25

Hi all,

So, first of all, I'm so very sorry that it has taken 6 months to continue this story. I promise that it has not been in any way abandoned, life simply got busy. Thanks to everyone who messaged me in attempt to encourage another chapter, I really appreciated the reassurance that people wanted to read more.

Thanks as always to JaneyGWF, who has also been steadily encouraging me to continue for months. She has still been tirelessly betaing for me, despite her own hectic life.

As always I make no promises as to an update schedule, but I absolutely promise that this story will be finished!

I hope you enjoy, please let me know your thoughts!

* * *

Maura could feel her limbs shaking with pure awareness in response to abruptly regaining control of her body. She tightened her grip on Jane, and felt Jane's arms hold her closer in response. The smile that had adorned her face automatically at the sight of her best friend, alive and well, dissipated as the enormity of the ordeal she'd just endured crashed through her consciousness and she let out an emotional and pained gasp. She heard Jane say something in a worried voice, but her attention was focused inward, trying to get her mind around everything she was feeling and remembering.

The memories she could immediately access were a blur. She remembered being powerless. She remembered something else having complete control over her mind and body. She remembered being utterly absent, as if her soul had been removed from her body, leaving only a shell.

She remembered a strange vampire with red hair.

Pushing away from Jane, Maura looked around frantically, and upon finding nothing amiss turned back to Jane with a frightened tone. "Where did she go? What happened?"

Jane carefully put her hands on Maura's shoulders, her response quiet and calming. "It's okay. Betty just went to get us some, uh, food, and to give us a few minutes. We're safe, nobody is going to hurt you."

Maura looked around a few more times, her eyes flashing across every surface in search of threats. Her body slowly relaxed as she accepted what Jane had said, her harried breaths finding no trace of vampire on the afternoon breeze. Jane gently rubbed her hands down Maura's arms in a comforting gesture, her face full of worried concern.

Maura slowly got to her feet, pulling away from Jane and walking away a few steps. Everything felt slightly off, as if her brain was still recalling how to send signals to her body, but the sensation was lessening with each passing moment. She breathed in deeply, revelling in the feeling of her body stretching and adjusting to her movements. Her hands found their way to her torso, her fingers finding smooth unblemished skin through the gaping holes in her clothes. She frowned in confusion, and closed her eyes to try and remember exactly what had happened.

She recalled pieces of the last few days, but her memories felt strange, as if she was remembering them with a different personality than the one she'd inhabited while making the memories. She clearly remembered everything in the boiler, up until the point where Jane had ripped the last piece of metal out of her torso. Prior to that moment, her strength had been gradually fading as she used her powers continuously to help Jane. The drain on her energy, in addition to the searing agony she'd been ignoring for days, had noticeably and rapidly increased as soon as Jane started removing the shrapnel from her body. Her thoughts had also started to scatter, and it had become impossible to think coherently or logically. When the last piece of intruding material had left her torso, she had crumpled in pain, but also started to lose awareness and control of her body. She had immediately gone blind, which made her verbalise one last whimper, and her hearing had faded quickly as well. She had felt Jane pick her up and carry her, for a long time. She didn't remember any sounds or sights, only the impression of Jane's arms supporting her and the sensation of speed. When the motion had stopped, she thought she had finally passed into the realm of death.

Then she had been revitalised by the taste of blood, her limbs moving and her senses activating with sluggish capability. Her body had reacted to stimuli, both the smell of prey above her and the presence of a rival vampire, with only the barest input from Maura's mind. She had no control, no way of reacting consciously. Maura didn't remember being present in her own body, she simply remembered what it had instinctually done. It didn't feel like her consciousness had been buried, or simply inactive, it had been gone.

To her surprise, Maura retrospectively gained an unusual insight into her instincts, being able to remember them operating completely separated from any intelligent thought. She now understood that her vampire instincts found no particular enjoyment in the taste of blood. To her bestial consciousness, blood was simply food, a necessary fact of life. It responded with complete focus and an indomitable will, but not because it wanted the blood, or wanted to take pleasure in getting it, simply because it needed it. There was no planning, no moral ambiguity over right and wrong, only a primal imperative to eat and survive.

Maura realised with shock that whatever had happened to her had made her completely forget who Jane was at the time. She had responded to her as an enemy, an unknown, because she had no inkling of anything to the contrary. Maura remembered with horror and disgust how she attacked Jane, over and over again, despite the fact Jane was clearly desperate to help her. Her instincts couldn't abide the presence of another vampire when she was injured and there was blood in the air. There had been no emotional impetus behind the attack, no shame when Jane had defeated her clumsy attacks, no sense of satisfaction when her body was finally sated and healed. She had simply reacted on instinct and moved on to the next situation, without planning or reflection.

Then, after submitting to Jane's dominance and following her meekly, Maura remembered smelling a vampire moving towards them. She had taken up a defensive posture, growling and snarling like a beast despite her weakness. She remembered seeing a red-haired, red-eyed vampire, Jane speaking to her, then nothing. She had lost all awareness of the world, and everything had gone black.

Maura turned back to Jane, who was still on the ground watching her, with a burning need to understand. "Jane, what happened? Did someone attack me? Is that why my mind feels so…"

Jane looked extremely uncomfortable, but quickly jumped to her feet and walked to Maura with concern. "Are you still in pain? Did I miss something? Please, tell me what's wrong, I can try to fix it."

Maura reflexively jerked away from Jane as she tried to reach for her face. Her expression contorted in horror as she remembered the next part of the last day's events.

After losing consciousness, the next thing Maura could remember was the impression of warmth. Something was touching her face, and she was leaning against something firm with her head propped up. It seemed like a long time until anything changed, and for all that time Maura was still without thought, without a sense of self. Then she gradually felt her other senses activating, fuzzily becoming aware of the sounds of a forest, the whisper of a breeze. Though her eyes were almost completely closed, she could just make out the faint light of stars as they disappeared into the light of dawn. Despite her growing awareness, she was still without any ability to move.

Suddenly her sense of smell and taste had slammed into existence, and she realised that her mouth was full of blood. Every faint instinct that existed in her threadbare sense of self screamed to swallow, to seek out more, but she was still cut off from her body. She endured a kind of tempting torture as the sweet scent enthralled her whole self and her vampiric instincts returned with full force, but something still held her motionless against her will.

Finally, the torment ended as she regained the use of her body abruptly. Her instinctual self wasted no time in gulping down the blood in her mouth and immediately lunging for the nearby source, a bag sitting on the ground. She ignored the two vampires around her until one tried to take her food, which made her respond aggressively with a closed fist. Again, there was no emotion behind the action, only an instinct to protect herself and her food source. Maura could further understand her instincts through remembering them operating independent of any conscious thought, observing how she had reacted to blood, then threats to her being able to retain possession of the blood, then threats to herself. Nothing else triggered her instincts, only stimuli that were a physical threat or a potential rival in the hunt for food.

She remembered feeling her limbs freeze again, just as helplessly as before, but without the pressing weight of her body being drained of energy. Then she had suddenly been freed, immediately attacking the red-haired threat, only to find herself tackled to the ground with her face pressed into the soft soil. As before, Maura remembered herself struggling violently against her attackers, without success. She eventually submitted to the iron grip and glared at her captors, but her inner vampire had known it was beaten and simply settled down to wait for an opening.

Maura remembered hearing Jane talking to the other vampire, but the words didn't make sense. Something about making progress, and continuing with something. Jane had sounded tired and distraught, but then the sensation of her instincts reactivating had continued. Maura remembered several attempts to escape her restraints, precipitated by another awakening of instincts or senses, all of them motivated purely by instincts rather than conscious intentions, but none of them gaining her anything.

Eventually Maura remembered the first flickers of intelligence returning to her mind. She had stopped struggling, finally able to understand that she was being helped. She had started looking curiously at Jane, although she still didn't remember who she was. The rudimentary deductive processes that were starting to awaken in her mind were trying to learn and understand, curious about this woman touching her face and concentrating fiercely.

Maura remembered the next part of her ordeal with great trepidation. She recalled the restoration of her language skills and knowledge, all being fed into her mind piece by tiny piece. The horror of the experience came from the fact that she had no control over her own mind. Her attention had been dragged between each new piece of information, whether she wanted to remember it or not. After her mind had reconnected with each item, it was brutally directed to the next one, over and over again. Some connections prompted her speech centre to engage, and she would start talking, rattling off nonsense words as her brain struggled to sort through the multitude of random information. The desolation and revulsion she felt at the recollection wasn't coming from the fact that Maura objected to being given back the elements of her life, it was the helplessness and complete sense of subjugation that came from being unable to control even her thoughts.

Finally, Maura started remembering personal details. It started with her childhood. She saw her earliest memories, progressing from her first interactions with her parents, to the first time she'd been left with the staff, to the day she decided to ask her mother to send her away for school.

She quickly discovered that the experience of regaining memories and knowledge one scrap at a time gave Maura a unique insight into the way her mind worked. She had always known her personality was built from an immeasurable amount of building blocks, all shaped and placed and linked together by her experiences, but the way her mind had been forcibly guided through the recreation of those pieces showed her exactly why she was the person she had become.

She revisited a young Maura first starting to learn about inherited genetic characteristics at the age of eight. She had run to her mother, distraught, when she realised that either her books were wrong about how recessive and dominant genes influenced genetic makeup, or she was horribly ill with a disfiguring disease. _You're not normal, you need to figure out what's wrong and fix it. _Her mother had calmly explained that she was adopted, and that her biological parents were unknown, which put Maura's mind at ease about her physical body, but sent her mind into a whole new realm of confusion. _There must have been something wrong with you, so you need to be better so nobody needs to get rid of you again. _Her parent's continual absences from her life had quickly become the norm, forcing Maura to learn to enjoy her own company and not seek attention. _Nobody wants to be pressured into liking you, just be perfect and let them notice if they want to. _Servants and nannies would only be with her when they were getting paid handsomely for the privilege. _People are too busy with their own important lives to notice yours, just be patient and be pleased with any attention they can spare. _Her school companions would only spend time with her at their parents' request, or if the needed help with a project, or if she had a new toy they wanted to try. _Nobody likes other people out of genuine affection, they only express affection when they need something, so make sure you always have something to offer._ It had been clear at a very young age that she was bright and curious, but she had never felt overly proud or entitled because of it, she had merely acknowledged the fact and continued on. _Everyone must be as smart as you, it's only because you're too dumb to understand social interactions that you have all this space in your head for academic knowledge._

Her higher education flashed past her mind's eye in an organised procession of classes, information, colleagues and lovers. _Everyone wants to be the best, you cannot trust anyone as they are only trying to exceed your brilliance and rob you of any importance or meaning. _She became an outstanding scholar, a mentor, and graduated with honours from every academic venture. _If you share your knowledge and wealth with others, they will remember your intelligence and your generosity, and you will matter to them. _

Her career flowed into her memories as a series of brilliant accomplishments, as she shone brightly, the epitome of forensic science, lauded and celebrated, only to return home to an empty house and a silent tortoise. _Nobody will remember you for your insufferable company, your only viable option is to become the top of your field and be remembered for your outstanding work._

When her life had been changed by the entrance of Jane and her family, it had taken years for Maura to even start to consider that they liked her simply for being herself, without any ulterior motive. _People always want something, they never actually like you, keep being generous and kind to ensure they stay in your life. _She had never thought they had any malicious intent, however she was always waiting for the moment she would discover that she was no longer needed. _They are getting to know you too well, they will soon realise the faults that everyone else can see and abandon you, just like the rest. _In recent years Maura had been fighting with her inherent nature, trying to overcome her deep-seated shortcomings of self-esteem and belief, but she could never fully rid herself of the fear that Jane would one day tell her to leave and never come back. _You have become weak and dependant on these people, and you're too tired to care that it will leave you destroyed when they leave you, since you'll never be truly good enough._

Each part of this convoluted construction of responses and beliefs was forcibly marched past Maura's consciousness in a never-ending parade of facts, each making itself known before connecting with the rest of the chain and catapulting Maura's mind on to the next. She could remember there being mental blocks around all of her ingrained beliefs, barriers she had built around her personality quirks as if those traits were precious, but for some reason those blocks weren't returning with the memories, only the information that had previously been hidden behind them. She could see the gnarled conclusions that had shaped her behaviour, and prevented her from trusting, loving and believing in her own worth. It had almost felt as though she could start to address the root causes of those long maligned self-esteem issues, but then the process had continued and her mind was unfeelingly yanked away into the next memory.

She had felt her body reacting to particularly intensely emotional memories by reciting the thoughts experienced at the moment the event had happened. In retrospect, she was extremely embarrassed by the personal demons she'd disclosed, knowing that Jane must have heard all of it, but at the time she'd been powerless to prevent whatever force she was under the influence of from propelling her mind to the next painful memory.

Finally, after her final admission of her current greatest fears in response to a residual taste of human blood, she had regained control over her body, only to find Jane looking down at her in fretful anticipation, her hands still touching Maura's face. The same hands that had been holding her down, that had wrested control of her mind away.

Maura jumped back from Jane in stark realisation, revulsion permeating her voice as she understood the source of her ordeal, if not the reason. "It was you! You were restraining me! You somehow took over my mind!"

Jane's face crumpled in hurt and confusion. "What? No, I…well, yes, but no!"

Jane stepped forward with outreached hands, making Maura instinctively flinch away and scream in terror. "Don't touch me! Don't you dare touch me!"

Maura looked at Jane properly as they both stumbled way from each other, taking in the red eyes and the perfected pale skin, and thinking about everything they implied. Her friend had become a vampire, after proclaiming loudly that it wasn't what she wanted. Perhaps she blamed Maura for that after all, and she had used some new powers on her as punishment. Or worse, perhaps what Maura had done during Jane's transformation had altered her mind, making her a sadistic torturer like all the Volturi they had met. Maura felt like she was going to throw up, a sensation she hadn't experienced since becoming a vampire, at the thought that Jane might have done this to her on purpose. It was completely contrary to everything the Jane she knew was capable of, but she had learned over the last few months that there were very few things she could consider impossible.

Choking down her panic, Maura tried to steady her croaky voice and discuss this rationally. "What, exactly, did you do to me Jane?"

Jane held out her hands to placate her panicking friend, her voice distraught. "Nothing, I just…okay. Apparently I have some kind of energy powers. I can see it, and I can do stuff with it. I could see in your brain that there was damage, some sort of black absorbing sickness that was killing you. I just fed in my own energy, to make it stop. Then once that was taken care of, I had to go back in and turn all your brain cells back on, one at a time, because your whole brain was completely drained. It took a while, and you sort of woke up halfway through, and you were all scary and violent, but then you started spewing google, and it looked like it was working. I did restrain you for a while, but I didn't have a choice! You were going to hurt yourself! I just tried to help your brain work again, but I wasn't using any mind control on you! I swear, Maura, I wouldn't do that to you."

Maura turned away in shock, realisation pervading her consciousness, a hand over her mouth. What had seemed like a torturous attack from her perspective had simply been Jane trying to help. The hours she had spent in an unthinking paralytic limbo had merely been an unfortunate side effect of Jane's powers, and without those powers Maura would probably be either mindless or dead.

Jane started wringing her hands, habitually kneading the now-healed scars, her voice pleading and apologetic. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were getting hurt from what I was doing. But I won't apologise for trying. You didn't see how bad you were, Maura. You were dying. _You_ were gone, and there was a brainless vampire in your body. I knew it had only happened because you helped me, and it had cost you everything. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try everything I could to help you."

Maura nodded slowly, her scrambled memories agreeing with everything Jane had explained. She remembered Betty encouraging Jane to continue, she remembered Jane fretting over her ability to fix whatever was broken in Maura's head, and she remembered how hard Jane had tried to get it right. There was no feeling of malice in any of her recollections, only desperation and persistence in the face of hopelessness.

Maura took a few moments to really look at her friend's new appearance, beyond the vampiric additions, and had to smile. Her natural beauty had been perfected by the vampiric transformation, with flawless skin, voluminous silky hair and chiselled features, but she could still see her Jane underneath it all. From the way she rubbed her hands together anxiously to her lopsided posture when she stood, everything about her was still familiar and comforting. Maura sighed again, realising she was panicking over nothing. Jane was clearly still herself, and she hadn't intentionally done anything to hurt her.

Maura closed her eyes for a moment and revelled in the feel of her own thoughts, her own feelings, and her own memories. Her clarity of mind was returning gradually, and she accepted that she had misread the experience as an attack, when in fact she had instead just undergone the vampire equivalent of lifesaving surgery. Maura felt the tension leeching out of her body as she slowly came to terms with the whole experience, at a pace only a vampire could achieve, and comprehended that there was no reason to be afraid of Jane.

Her fears assuaged, Maura finally smiled genuinely at the realisation that they were alive, together and okay. She opened her eyes, looking at Jane, who was still watching her anxiously, trying to figure out how to help. She had always tried to help, no matter what Maura had done, no matter what the obstacle was, no matter what anyone might think. She had stood by Maura despite her nature, despite her history, despite her misunderstandings, despite her mistakes, and despite her inability to ever fully understand Jane's friendship. Maura abruptly realised that Jane thought she was angry at her for saving her life, when the truth was that Maura owed her everything.

Without another word, she ran over to Jane and pulled her into a rib cracking hug, causing Jane to squeak in surprise before returning it gratefully. Maura basked in the sensation of comfort that hugging Jane provided, having been deprived of any hugs that felt right since her transformation. Hugging humans had just felt wrong, since they were too hot, too soft and too breakable. This hug felt like coming home.

After a few long moments, Maura pulled away and smiled at Jane. "I'm sorry. Thank you, Jane. I think I understand, and I realise now I owe you my life. And my sanity. I'm sorry I got confused and panicked."

Jane grinned happily, drawing Maura back in and speaking into her hair. "I think you're allowed a bit of a freak out. It's seriously the least I could do, after all you went through. You've done so much for everyone. You know, Frankie is only alive because of you. I owe you more than I could ever repay."

Maura suddenly realised she had no idea what had happened to him. "Is he somewhere safe? Did you get him out of the power station before we came here?"

Jane nodded calmly, encouraging Maura to stop worrying. "He's fine. I dropped him at a gas station, he should have called for help. He is probably home by now, or helping out at BPD. I'm not exactly sure, I haven't had any way to contact anyone to find out what's going on."

Maura felt guilty for keeping Jane away from her family, before she realised it may not have only been due to Jane's preoccupation with treating Maura. She also realised contritely that she had been so preoccupied with her own trauma that she hadn't checked in on Jane's situation or well-being. "So, you're a vampire now. How is that going so far?"

Jane snorted at the change of topic. "Well, I got to punch a bear. I think that's been the highlight."

Maura pulled away with a disbelieving look, which made Jane laugh. "I'm serious! I had to try and find something for you to eat, and it turns out I don't have any vampire instincts at all. Seriously, it's embarrassing. It took me ages to find anything, but I eventually found this big bear. I had no idea what to do, so I punched it in the face, and it passed out."

Maura chucked, still not quite sure if that was the whole story. "I wish I'd seen that! Thank you for doing that for me."

Jane smiled at the sound of Maura laughing, glad to see her slowly returning to normal. "So, are you okay? Any pain, any fuzzy memories, any missing languages?"

Maura shook her head slowly, taking a moment to try and match her memories of learning things to the information stored in her head. "I'm not in any pain, and my injuries seem to have healed without scarring. Well, except for my throat, which is still a little scratchy, but it isn't painful."

Jane looked a little sad at the reminder. "Yeah, I couldn't really do anything about the venom scars. It seems to be the only thing that can really leave a mark on us. I really need you to promise me that you won't try anything like that again, okay? I mean the overworking your powers, the drinking blood full of venom, the picking a fight with a scary vampire in a cloak, all of it."

Jane sobered at the reminder of how close she had come to losing her best friend. "You really scared me, you know. I think you scared yourself pretty well there too."

Maura nodded seriously, her humour dissipating as well. "It was fine when it was happening, I didn't have enough awareness to realise how terrifying it all was. But now, I can remember what it felt like to lose my intelligence, and my sense of self. I think I'd rather take on the Volturi than go through anything like that again."

Betty chose that moment to reappear in front of them, startling the pair apart. "Well, that is a very interesting way to put it. Hi, I'm Betty, nice to meet you!"

Maura flinched away from the newcomer before snarling angrily, dragging Jane with her as she backed away. She may have decided to trust Jane, but a complete stranger was a different story. She felt angry at the intrusion, and defensive in preparation of the world throwing another horrifying experience at her before she was done recovering from the last. Honestly, she was completely done just taking what came without a fight, and she wasn't afraid to show this other vampire exactly how she felt.

Betty seemed to realise her mistake, dropping the bag she was carrying and raising her hands in surrender. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. How are you, Maura?"

Maura thought she could hear genuine concern under the bubbly voice, but she still answered aggressively. "Why do you care? What do you want from us?"

Betty sighed, her eyes flicking across to note Jane's defensive stance mirroring Maura's. "Okay, I can see we need to talk this out. Are either of you thirsty? I imagine the past few days must have left you both a little drained."

She carefully crouched down, opening her bag and showing the pair the contents. They noted at least six blood bags inside, still stamped with the blood bank identification labels.

Maura's lip curled in distaste as soon as she realised Betty was offering her human blood. "No. I'll pass, thanks."

However, instead of listening to Maura's reply, Betty reached into the bag, withdrawing one of the plastic containers and tossing it towards Maura. She caught it easily, immediately noticing that Betty had taken the cap off and blood was starting to leak out of the tube.

Maura abruptly felt her instincts spring to life, trying to force all conscious thought out of her head in a blind rush to get her to drink. It was a familiar feeling, one she had felt and succumbed to multiple times since becoming a vampire. However, this time was different. She recognised the sensation from her memory of being a mindless shell, and armed with her new deeper understanding of her own mind found it absurdly easy to brush aside her animalistic impulses. She ruthlessly suppressed her inner vampire, pushing it back into the oldest part of her mind and imprisoning it behind a layer of ironclad control.

Maura did little more than blink in the time it took to gain complete mastery over her vampiric urges, and instead of drinking from the open container she held, she offered the bag to Jane. When Jane shook her head, smiling proudly at her friend's blatant display of control, Maura tossed the bag on the ground at Betty's feet in disdain. She crossed her arms defiantly, knowing from the surprised look on Betty's face that she had just passed some kind of test. "As I said, we'll pass."

Betty picked up the bag, her strained expression giving away the slight struggle with temptation she endured in the time it took to get the lid back on. She dropped the blood bag into her satchel and closed it carefully, her face a mixture of confusion and wonder as she took in the sight of the two women facing her with a strong united front.

Betty straightened and clasped her hands primly in front of her, a slight smirk on her face as she addressed Jane and Maura. "Well, I guess that's that. I think I owe you a few explanations. Unfortunately, we'll have to do this on the run. Follow me please, and keep up."

Before Jane and Maura could argue, Betty turned and sprinted away from them, disappearing into the trees without a trace. The pair looked at each other doubtfully, before they nodded in resignation and followed Betty.


	26. Chapter 26

Hi all!

Welcome to the next chapter! Fair warning, there's a lot of information in this one!

Thanks as always to the amazing JaneyGWF for her betaing services!

Enjoy, and please let me know any thoughts!

* * *

Jane was amazed at the sensation of speed that came from being a vampire running through the forest. Her previous mad dashes through the trees hadn't left any time to properly appreciate the experience, since she had been so focused on finding Maura a meal.

Now she could appreciate the plethora of colours and sounds that made up the forest whipping past, her eyes capable of discerning every detail before it fell behind her. Her powerful legs ate up the ground, propelling her across the terrain at what should have been a hair-raising pace. But she felt no fear, as her lightning quick senses allowed her to see every potential obstacle and avoid it with ease.

She glanced over at Maura, and found amused red eyes looking back at her. Maura was carefully keeping close, ensuring that Jane was handling the new experience and not feeling overwhelmed. While Maura had asked how Jane was doing post-transformation, Jane had brushed it off with a joke, which Maura may have interpreted to mean she wasn't ok, hence the caring scrutiny. It was very endearing, and Jane was thankful to see that Maura's protective streak hadn't disappeared after her ordeal, even if that protectiveness was unnecessary now. They were both nearly indestructible, and Jane finally felt like they were on equal footing. If they ever had to tangle with another hostile vampire, Jane intended to give as good as she got, rather than needing Maura to save her.

But since her vigilance obviously gave Maura the impression of control over the situation, Jane was more than willing to go along with whatever Maura needed. Jane couldn't help feeling guilty about what her new powers had done to Maura, even though there had been no alternative. Losing Maura hadn't been an option, and if Maura ever got into that state again, Jane knew she wouldn't hesitate to use her powers. It would take a while to untangle all the feelings and reactions around the events of the last week, but that could all be tackled after they'd heard whatever Betty had to tell them and dealt with whatever they were running towards.

Jane gave Maura a broad grin, which was instantly returned. Jane suspected that, although neither of them had wanted Jane to become a vampire, part of Maura had been desperate to share this side of her new life with someone. The speed, the strength, the clarity of thought, it was all exciting and held a lot of potential. Jane let out a yell of excitement and sped up, wanting to catch up to Betty, and heard Maura laugh as she matched Jane's acceleration.

Betty smirked over her shoulder when the pair caught up to her, and started speaking as soon as they were in earshot. Jane found it odd to start a conversation while they were running at over 300kph, but aside from a bit of distortion in the sound of Betty's voice she quickly realised it was possible. "Alright, let me start at the beginning. As I mentioned to Jane, I'm part of a vampiric organisation. As you've probably deduced, we've been watching both the two of you and the situation for some time. I realise it all sounds a bit creepy, but hopefully you will eventually understand. We have only now been able to step in and help, and I know that sounds like a cop-out. Before I explain why, let me explain who we are, how we came into existence, and why the two of you are important. But first, a bit of underlying science. One of the most important goals of our organisation is understanding the world, including vampire physiology, evolution and abilities, and some of what we've learned will be of vital importance if you are to understand the situation. Now, have you ever wondered how vampire powers work?"

Jane glanced at Maura, noticing her expression sharpen as her natural curiosity took hold. Betty smiled wider as she continued, buoyed by Maura's undivided attention. "As I've explained partially to Jane, they come from a part of the thalamus whose function is as yet undiscovered by humans, which we have named the thalamus vampirus. There are two distinct types of powers that come from the thalamus vampirus, which we refer to as mental and energy. It is a human's genetic makeup that determines which type of thalamus vampirus they have, and therefore what class of power they will develop once they turn. The bloodlines that create these two types of powers originated in different locations on the planet, possibly due to some random gene mutation, and have since been passed down through hundreds of generations. Due to thousands of years of interbreeding between different cultures, both bloodlines can now be found in all races and in all countries, but energy based powers are rarer than mentally based ones, for a variety of reasons."

Betty paused her explanation for a moment as they crossed a highway, their bodies flashing between the traffic effortlessly. She quickly checked her audience was following, both literally and figuratively, before gesturing to Maura as they continued running. "Your lineage is of the mental power variety. As you've experienced, you have the ability to copy other people's knowledge and any mental vampiric powers they might have. This ability was passed to you from your mother's side of the family, which has a long history of intelligent and curious individuals."

Jane frowned before putting on a burst of speed and zipping in front of Betty, forcing her to stop. She glanced back at Maura worriedly before barking out an interrogative question. "Wait, how do you know this stuff about Maura?"

Betty rolled her eyes at Jane's suspicious tone. "Look, I promise I'll explain that bit next. As I said, I realise we sound like a group of stalkers that just know all this stuff about the two of you, but there are good reasons. Just let me get through the mechanics first, okay? Then I'll explain how I know all of this."

Jane considered the request for a few long moments. Betty had shown herself to be trustworthy so far, between helping her save Maura and then staying to explain herself as promised. She glanced at Maura, who was carefully considering everything Betty had said. Maura nodded in wary agreement, and Jane reluctantly sighed and gestured for Betty to continue running, the pair falling in behind her seamlessly as they powered through the forest.

Maura had been pondering Betty's words while Jane deliberated, and was now frowning in concern. "So are you saying, if Hope was ever changed into a vampire, she would have the same powers as I do?"

Betty shook her head emphatically. "No, no, not at all. The genetic background only opens the door to a type of ability. The actual power someone gets is determined by their personality, their experiences, their beliefs, even their fears. Similar powers do tend to run in families, but whether that's through nature or nurture is still a bit unclear."

Betty gestured at Maura again, trying enthusiastically to make her point understood. "Because you have led a life of open curiosity, but also one of benevolence and pacifism, your power has formed to facilitate your need to know and discover things, while not harming your 'donor'. Hope has led a much more fearful life, often encountering the need to defend herself and her loved ones, so her powers would be much more aggressive."

Betty glanced back searchingly and sighed, seeing that Jane was lost and Maura was missing the point. "Okay. I believe you are aware of Hope's encounter with a vampire many years ago?"

Maura nodded with an unsettled frown. "She still has some sort of vampiric version of me haunting her every time she thinks about mentioning vampires."

Betty smiled and continued. "Good. Well, not good that she's in that situation, but, you know, good that you're following. Anyway. That vampire's power was to show people images from their own minds, as if they were real. Because she was a nasty bitch, she chose to use it to terrorise people, showing them some of their deepest fears."

Betty shook her head and huffed, as if the concept of a vampire causing humans to go insane was an annoyance rather than a horrifying fact. "With most people, it was all over as soon as she left them alone. They'd recover after a day or so, aside from some nasty nightmares, unless they had a pre-existing heart condition or mental disorder. However, in Hope's case, a rudimentary version of her vampiric potential kicked in and disrupted the process. Her abilities are reactive in nature, allowing her to subconsciously detect and respond to an incoming attack on her mind. If she'd been a vampire, we're fairly sure this would result in the power being reflected back at the attacker, possibly with Hope retaining some form of their power for her own use, as you do. As a human, with an immature power, it resulted in the attack being twisted and magnified, which left a lasting impression on her psyche. Unfortunately this will probably happen each time a mental power is used on her, and this will only worsen her condition over time."

Maura looked horrified, and Jane's heart pinged with guilt once again over her past treatment of Hope. They both remembered Hope's reaction to Jasper's power, how much it had destabilised her already fragile mental state, and although it was a relief to know finally what had caused Hope's mental state, it was devastating to hear that it couldn't be cured.

Betty glanced back to understand the silence behind her and noticed Maura's dismayed expression, gasping before quickly continuing contritely. "Sorry, that was bleaker than I intended. There is hope, don't worry! Jane can help her!"

Maura glanced at Jane in surprise, and Jane could only shrug and turn back to Betty doubtfully. "Jane, have some faith in yourself. Your power isn't mental, it's energy based. Think of it like being on a different frequency. It uses a different mechanism to influence the world, so Hope's natural defences won't react to an intrusion from you like they would from Maura or the Cullens. You can use your power to shut off her thalamus vampirus, basically the opposite of what you did with Maura, and that will stop the visions. She won't react badly to mental vampire powers anymore, and she'll be able to live a more normal life."

Maura frowned in worried confusion. "But, wouldn't shutting off part of her brain be detrimental?"

Betty shook her head decisively. "Humans don't need that part of their brain for anything. In fact vampires don't either, it's just a nice thing to have. She might become slightly less intuitive, but realistically she won't notice a huge difference, aside from being cured of the side effects of the previous attack. Trust me, she'll thank you for it."

They abruptly reached another road, causing a natural break in the conversation as they carefully navigated the obstacle without being seen. Jane took the opportunity to glance around for landmarks, and realised they were heading towards New York. She mentally mapped the path they'd taken, and estimated that if she was right about their destination, they were almost a third of the way there. Jane took a second to marvel at vampiric speed for a moment, smiling faintly, before returning her attention to the conversation.

Betty huffed again as they reached the next band of wilderness, her frustration showing in her flustered tone. "Okay, I've gotten off topic. My point is, a vampire's abilities are created through a mixture of nature and nurture. The limits of those abilities are also created by our experiences. Everyone has hang-ups, the little things we've picked up over the course of a lifetime that make us shy away from things, dislike other things, even outright hate things. They dictate how we trust, how we love, how we argue, how we fight, everything we do. Those little details are what shape our behaviour, and they leave a lasting impression in our minds. When someone becomes a vampire, those hang-ups become set in concrete, and without a particularly strong emotional reason, we can never overcome them. They become limits on our minds, which directly affect any powers we have."

Betty threw Maura a pointed glance over her shoulder. "Maura, your limits are a result of your tendency to underplay your skills, to hide in the background, to stay out of the way. You have always been brilliant, but you never go out of your way to be noticed unless it is expected, like through your academic achievements. Your experiences throughout your life have told you that you're exceptional, and that you are capable of knowing and understanding everything, but that other people won't appreciate you for it. You instinctively hold yourself back from ever truly being as overwhelmingly superior as you could be, out of a desire for acceptance and love."

Jane felt uneasy again at the accuracy of Betty's information. It was a more accurate personality profile of Maura than anything available in public records. She felt an urgent need to understand this organisation Betty was associated with, and how they somehow knew everything about Maura.

Betty continued on, her tone serious and factual as she tried to get Maura to understand. "Those basic character traits turned into a partial block around your abilities. You could copy anyone's powers, but you would lose access to the ones you had previously gained. This both limited your power, so you wouldn't lose sight of yourself, and also protected you from the dangers of overextending your mind. Your own personality wouldn't allow your power to be realised to its full potential."

Betty glanced at Jane with a small smile. "However, when you were facing Alec, without any offensive abilities, the fact that Jane was in imminent danger of dying gave you the motivation and the emotional ammunition to break past your own mental barriers. You harnessed everything you were feeling and shattered your own mind in an attempt to save Jane. And although it worked, and you regained the power you needed to disable him and shield Jane from the effects of her transformation, it had severe consequences."

Maura's brow furrowed in thought, comprehension blossoming through her mind abruptly. "So it wasn't the prolonged use of my powers that damaged my mind. It was using my emotions to batter through my own mental barriers in order to access my lost powers in the first place. It would have made no difference whether I helped Jane during her transition or not, I was already dying from the moment I stopped Alec."

Betty nodded sadly, giving the pair a sympathetic look. "We've seen it happen before, many times. Whenever a vampire forcibly changes their powers by pushing past their mental limits, they inevitably end up mindless. It's only a matter of time before their body gives up. Nobody has ever survived before."

Jane cleared her throat at the unwelcome reminder of how close they had come to disaster. "So why is my power so unusual? You said there are other vampires with energy powers out there, so why hasn't anyone tried to do what I did before?"

Betty smiled genuinely at Jane over her shoulder. "Because of the life you've lived, you are unique. You are completely devoted to helping others at all costs, protective to a fault with no sense of self preservation. You have never held yourself back for fear of what others might think, you have never limited your own potential or stopped yourself from going after what you think you need to do. You have always put your own safety last, so you have no mental blocks around your powers. You are able to access them and use them to their fullest potential. Most energy users have some hang-ups when they are changed, so they unknowingly restricted themselves to control over specific types of energy, for example manipulating the elements or transforming materials. We tend to call them pyromancers, alchemists, magicians, that sort of thing. You are something different. You are capable of interacting with energy directly, without restriction, without moderation. As long as you don't blow yourself up or try to channel too much energy at once, there is no limit to what you could achieve."

Jane's jaw dropped as she looked to Maura for confirmation, and was met with an equally stunned expression. Jane abruptly stopped running, staring at her hands in awe and fear at the realisation of what she could conceivably do. Maura stopped as well, reaching out for Jane's arm in an attempt to comfort and ground her. Jane immediately pulled away fearfully, still staring at her hands in awe and trepidation. She could only think about the cactus exploding, and was overtaken with an irrational fear that she would blow up anything that touched her.

Betty quickly realised the impact her words had made and once again scrambled to backpedal, immediately stopping and returning to the awestruck pair. "Don't panic! Jane, you know how to activate your powers, and you know how to control them. You proved that when you managed to bring Maura back from the brink of death. I'm not saying there won't be a process of learning, there is for everyone when it's all new. But you're not going to accidentally blow things up or anything like that. You know you can do it if you try though, so just be careful when you start experimenting."

Jane scoffed in disbelief. "When I start? I'm not experimenting with anything! As far as I'm concerned I've accomplished what I needed to with these powers, and they can stay buried in my head where they belong!"

Betty sighed in frustration. "You may think that now, but trust me, you'll want to know your capabilities. The reason I'm telling you both all of this is simple. Neither of you can afford to be afraid of your powers. You'll both need to utilise them. Soon."

Maura flinched at the mention of her powers, clearly gun-shy after her ordeal. Betty nodded sadly at the motion, knowing this was going to be a sore spot. "I realise how much I'm asking right now. I can't imagine how terrifying that experience must have been for you. Given everything I know about you, and how you perceive the world, I believe it would have been even worse for you than for most people, losing access to your ability to think. But I really need you to apply your logic to everything you've seen and experienced, and decide if you understand what I've told you. Decide whether you believe your mind is safe from your powers."

Jane watched as a flurry of emotion flickered across Maura's face. She was clearly thinking through everything that had happened since she jumped into the boiler to save Jane. Recalling those same events, Jane remembered seeing Maura's energy gradually draining with her second sight as the poor woman was pinned to the wall over the course of three days, but she had to admit that she hadn't seen what had initially started it. It could have been Maura using her powers to help Jane, as she had assumed, or it could have been the trauma of Maura retrieving her overwritten offensive power.

After much deliberation, Maura's face cleared, and she nodded uncertainly. "I think you're right. I remember feeling like something was wrong immediately after Alec died. It got worse over the next few days, but that was when it started."

Betty nodded seriously. "Now, do you both believe me when I assure you that your powers are perfectly safe to use again?"

Maura frowned at Betty with a torn expression, her hands restlessly twisting together as she considered everything Betty had told them. When her eyes flicked over to Jane, they were filled with uncertainty and fear.

Jane could only shrug, feeling entirely out of her depth and still scared of her own abilities. "I don't know. I don't feel like any of this is safe, but that's been true for months. What do you think, Maura?"

Jane watched as Maura closed her eyes and turned away from her, her arms crossed and her shoulders hunched. She looked like she was really struggling to decide, weighing up the costs of being wrong with the costs of inaction. It was almost exactly how Jane felt, she knew that her powers could potentially do a lot of good, but she just kept seeing that cactus explode and imagining it being someone's head. Jane was used to a lot of responsibility being placed on her shoulders, she had felt it every time she strapped a gun to her hip, but this felt too big.

Jane saw Maura sigh in resignation, and was unsure what decision she had reached. Maura turned back to look at Jane, her face set in determined concentration.

Abruptly, Jane felt her panic and worry recede, to be replaced by warmth and calm. She closed her eyes to revel in the sensation, and with her energy vision saw tendrils of energy flowing from Maura into her. Jane smiled genuinely, feeling the resolution and surety in her friend's projected feelings. Jane compared the sensation to those she had felt in the past, and the specificity of the positive emotions clued her in to the significance of the moment. Maura was using Jasper's power, not the Volturi's, which meant she had successfully accessed other overwritten abilities. There was no sensation of panic or pain, and Jane could see for herself that Maura's energy was strong and bright. It seemed as if Betty had been telling them the truth, at least about this. Maura could tap into all the powers she had copied, and not hurt herself.

Maura was smiling when Jane opened her eyes. "I don't know if I trust anyone else, Jane, but I do trust you. I think I'll be okay, but if not I know you'll be there for me, as will I for you."

Jane nodded in reply. "I promise if something goes wrong, I'll do my best to repair any damage, if you let me."

Maura winced at the reminder of Jane's powers and their effect on her, but she finally nodded at Jane with a small smile, giving her unspoken consent concerning any future need for Jane's help. Jane felt a weight lift off her heart, as her conscience took the tacit approval as a sign of forgiveness.

When Maura turned back to Betty however, she quickly asked another serious question. "Before I trust you, I need to understand what you want from us. You've gone to a lot of trouble to make sure we got to this point, and I want to know why."

Betty nodded in resignation before glancing in the direction they'd been running. "Okay, I guess I can understand that. I'll explain, but we need to keep moving."

Without waiting for a response, Betty burst into motion. Jane and Maura followed immediately, both anxious to find out why their strange companion had spent all this time and effort helping two complete strangers.

And what she expected in return.


	27. Chapter 27

Hi all!

Welcome to the next chapter! I hope you're still enjoying the story! I've been looking forward to sharing these chapters since starting this story, so please let me know any thoughts about the fun facts being revealed finally!

Thanks as always to JaneyGWF for her betaing!

* * *

When the pair were in hearing range, Betty started the next part of her explanation. "Now, I mentioned that vampiric powers have been around for a few thousand years. Back in those times, vampires were relatively few in number, but they were vicious and fought amongst each other violently. Their bloodthirsty instincts were completely uncontrollable, and most vampires didn't make it past their first year. Nobody knows how vampires first came into existence, because they were so violent that they all killed their makers, and nobody managed to preserve that knowledge. They preyed on humans, and since humans knew what they were, they fought back in any way they could. It was a dark, brutal time in vampire history, with no real evolution or progress made for untold centuries.

"Then a new vampire was turned, who found that she had special powers, unlike anything the world had ever seen. She was the first vampire known to have telepathic ability, and she used her unprecedented insight to start to understand her instincts. She eventually managed to learn control over herself, and through her powers bonded with other vampires, so they could learn from her. Eventually, they formed the world's first true coven of vampires, the first able to live together without fighting. This didn't mean they were peaceful, however.

"The coven decided to carve out their own empire. They chose an ancient city, wiped out the human leadership and took over. They forced the remaining humans to stay as their slaves, serving as entertainment and food. The city became known as a place of death, and it was abandoned by all neighbouring humans, eventually becoming a graveyard as the population was decimated and no new occupants came to replace them. The coven decided to move on, repeating the pattern multiple times across more than a century.

"Eventually the humans grew more brave than fearful. They assembled a great army and marched on the coven's latest killing ground, razing the city and burning most of the vampires in the process. The few surviving humans thought they had destroyed the threat, so the story was turned into a legend, with any truth about the bloodthirsty enemy becoming fiction over time.

"The original telepath was amongst the number killed, but she had given birth to many children as a human before being turned. She had intentionally protected her human descendants, allowing them to flourish and breed before taking one each generation as a vampire. One of her turned descendants managed to escape the destruction of the first coven, and fled the region to escape the persecution of their human attackers. This vampire had similar powers to her ancestor, but she was less inclined towards violence than her predecessors. She grew lonely over time and created more companions, binding them together with her telepathy, finding other vampires with similar powers in a similar fashion to the first coven. However, she did not repeat their mistakes. Instead, she used her powers to hide their true nature from humans, blurring perceptions and erasing memories as necessary to keep their existence a secret. They fed only when they could conceal the evidence, and moved around frequently to avoid suspicion, living as nomads rather than conquerors. They helped other vampires they encountered to understand their thirst, so that they could live among humans in relative peace.

"Over many hundreds of years, the coven grew in number and ability. The mutation for vampiric powers had spread across nations, becoming more common with time, and as a result more vampires with mental powers were created. The combination of several psychic abilities allowed the formation of a permanent mental connection between the coven members, permitting communication and exchange of information across vast distances. The coven spread out across many countries, but stayed together mentally, their telepathic connection ensuring they remained grounded and non-violent.

"However, other vampires were not as peaceful. As much as vampires are a different species than humans, we all came from humanity originally. We have the same weaknesses, the same overwhelming need to obtain the things we want even if it is at the expense of others. You've seen it during your time in law enforcement. A rich man with everything will still kill his brother for a better position in the family company. A psychopath who can't feel will go to extreme lengths to obtain power over others. A good cop will turn dirty after seeing how much money and power is available through criminal activities. All of these urges are still present in vampires, varying as much as in the people they came from. Vampires use the natural temptations of their thirst as an excuse to abandon all semblance of morals a lot easier than humans do. And when they decide they want something, it usually leads to war.

"There have been many vampiric wars, most of them long forgotten as the combatants are all dead. They are usually fought over territory, when the vampire population grows large enough to draw attention from the humans around them. Various weapons have been used to fight these wars, from newborns to sheer numbers to human armies to vampiric powers. As you may have guessed, the latest weapon to be discovered is hybrid vampires, but I will get to that later."

Maura and Jane exchanged a curious look at that comment, but both were swept up in the narrative and chose not to interrupt as Betty continued. "Eventually the humans realised that vampires were real, not just the stuff of stories and legends. Our race was once again the target of human attacks, which drove us towards extinction again.

"The coven wanted no part in a war with humans. They had lived peacefully for almost five hundred years, and their leader decided to take drastic action rather than allow history to repeat yet again. She still remembered how it had felt to lose her first coven, and the loneliness that followed. It had been a harrowing time, and the memory of that experience had pervaded the collective consciousness of the coven. They all agreed that another near extinction was unacceptable.

"In order to prevent a genocide, the coven pooled their mental resources and linked every mind on the planet, both human and vampire. The bond was created and sustained by the collective will of the coven, and relied on their continued input to maintain the connection. It tapped into the subconscious minds of all humans and vampires, allowing communication and sharing of knowledge without using the active memory or allowing the participants to know what was going on. Every thought, idea, memory, whim and hope of every mind on the planet became part of a vast pool of information, accessible to anyone with the right ability."

The look of fascination on Maura's face warmed Jane's heart, even as she tried to get her head around the magnitude of what Betty had explained. If what she said was true, her entire life had been lived in the constant presence of this unconscious network, and she had never known.

Betty had paused for a moment, giving them a brief opportunity to process, before she continued. "The coven then used this unconscious network to wipe all memory of vampires from the human population, everywhere in the world simultaneously, returning all knowledge to the realms of whispers and rumour. In addition to modifying memories, the coven also created an unconscious urge to ignore any evidence of vampirism, and a subconscious directive to keep the secret once it was discovered. That is the true reason why humanity as a whole has never rediscovered the secret. Not because the Volturi are good at their jobs, but because the coven has created and maintained their subliminal suggestion that nobody even knows exists. It doesn't prevent anyone from learning facts and realising the truth, but it guides their minds away until they have absolute proof and confirmation. I'm sure you've acted under this suggestion in the past, without even realising it."

Jane and Maura both frowned in realisation as they finally understood an untold niggling element of their first introduction to vampires. Neither of them had seriously considered telling anyone. They had kept the secret from everyone, even their parents and closest friends, without ever really questioning why. Once they had learned the truth, they had wondered how the FBI, BPD and media hadn't connected the dots, but they hadn't seriously looked into it further and tried to get the truth out there. Frankie hadn't forced them to tell the secret, despite having enough first hand evidence to know something was different about Maura. Even Susie Chang, who had all the information to draw a solid conclusion, hadn't been able to believe the truth until Maura had confirmed it.

Betty saw their looks of bewildered understanding and nodded knowingly. "I know, it's obvious once you know, but the beauty of the subconscious network is that your mind doesn't want to examine the issue until you actually know. I remember how amazed I was when I found out about it. It's an incredibly subtle manipulation of the whole world's collective mind, but it has served its purpose for almost a thousand years."

Betty gave them a few moments to take in the magnitude of the information she'd just dropped on them, crossing another highway in silence before continuing. "The creation of the subconscious network and the memory modification took a great toll on the coven, and ultimately resulted in the death of their leader. She was the first known victim of the experience you've just endured. She overstepped her limits in an attempt to protect her people, and she paid the cost. Even if she'd known what would happen, she would have still done it, because she knew the consequences of allowing history to repeat."

Maura grimaced and glanced at Jane with a grateful look, accompanied by a brief burst of emotion. Jane realised Maura must still be tapping into Jasper's powers, and was projecting little bursts of emotion even as she could feel Jane and Betty. At a guess, she thought Maura must be trying to use her new abilities to check the truthfulness of Betty's story as it was told.

Jane answered the feelings of warmth and gratitude with a reassuring smile, receiving a warm smile in return before they returned their attention to the story. "As you have probably guessed, that was when the law of secrecy was first introduced into the vampire world. Before then, it had been the sensible path to take, but not a rule. Naturally, not all vampires wanted to fall in line, since the requirement for secrecy makes it harder to indulge their baser instincts, so the coven needed a militant arm to enforce their wishes on the rest of the vampire population. A group of vampires were chosen from amongst the general population, who were not part of the coven and their mental network, but who agreed with the mission of the coven.

"The first group chosen were very effective in their task. They hunted any vampires that revealed themselves without mercy at the behest of the coven. Any dissenters were tracked almost instantly, as through the mental network the coven could identify any rebels before they took action and control situations before they eventuated. The coven and their warriors managed to enforce their will upon the world, killing any vampires that went against their rules and fooling the humans into believing vampires didn't exist.

"Over time, it was discovered that the subconscious network had other effects on the world. We believe the existence of the network prompted an evolutionary response in humans, enhancing the prominence of the thalamus vampirus and making humans more intuitive. Even humans with no natural psychic ability could feel the connection to varying degrees, unconsciously drawing impressions, hunches, déjà vu, past life experience, all manner of unexplainable phenomenon, from this unknown collective bond. More and more vampires were being created with mental abilities, and those abilities started to utilise the network in amazing ways. People like Alice started to appear, with the ability to see the future. What was actually happening is a form of prediction using probability, drawing on all the combined information available in the subconscious minds of everyone on the planet and delivering the most likely outcome to her mind as a vision. There are others that use the network unknowingly to enhance their abilities, to find people, influence them, remember those that have passed on, many different aspects of using the combined pool of knowledge. The coven revelled in this new development, becoming a very curious organisation, more focussed on understanding the world than controlling it. More than ever, they were only interested in being left alone and being able to concentrate on obtaining new knowledge. With this new focus of knowledge, the coven drifted out of the general knowledge of vampires not part of the coven, and became as much a myth to vampires as they were to humans. They focussed on their own projects, like the cross species hybridisation that produced the vampiric cactus, and left the politics and conflicts to other vampires.

"However, after a few hundred years, peace was settling in to the vampire world, and the coven's warriors grew restless. They had always travelled the world, ready to deploy as the coven required, but they eventually decided to find a city and put down roots as a group. They took over the governance of a human city, and ruled their subjects cruelly. As in each previous instance of vampires settling near humans, the warriors eventually started getting sloppy, and their humans started understanding the true nature of their rulers. It was like the bad old days of the first coven all over again.

"The coven wouldn't allow their own warriors to become the element that destroyed their carefully constructed secret world. They surreptitiously created a new warrior arm, gave them a battle strategy, and guided them in the destruction of their original warriors. After a prolonged conflict, during which many vampires and many more humans were killed, a new peace was reached and the coven returned to their maintenance of the unconscious network, now completely unknown to any but themselves and the leaders of their warriors, who were sworn to secrecy.

"Sadly, the cycle repeated itself once again. The new warrior arm of the coven took over a new region and started living as rulers, more secretly than the last but still too overtly for the coven's liking. You might have heard of the surviving members of this group, the Romanians, Stefan and Vladimir. The coven again moved to eliminate the threat, but this time changed their tactics.

"They appointed one of their own to lead the new warrior arm. He would know of the coven's existence and remain a part of their mental network, but would tell none of his past, instead leading through example and an iron will. You may have heard of this man. He is the leader of the Volturi, Aro."

Maura suddenly stopped at the sound of his name, followed by Jane and Betty. Jane received a blast of anger from Maura a split second before she started yelling. "You mean that man being is a position to influence our lives because you put him in power?"

Betty's hands were up in a placating gesture once again as she replied apologetically. "I know, it's a bad situation. One I personally had nothing to do with, by the way. I've only been a vampire for twenty years, and this all happened hundreds of years before I was born."

Maura was still glaring furiously at Betty, and she hurried to explain further. "The coven thought he was the best option at the time, and the Volturi have served their purpose for the longest of any warrior group. However, like all the others, his once noble and selfless purpose changed. He started desiring power, specifically other vampire powers, with their owners firmly under his control. He realised that if he started gathering power, we would stop him like we have all the others before him, so he ensured that he accumulated enough followers that we couldn't compete with them on a battlefield. He used one of his companion's abilities and tied them all together with an emotional bond, instead of a mental connection, so that none of them would ever betray him. His own powers allow him to know everything that his followers have ever thought, but none of them have the power to read his mind and motivations. And since he was one of us, he could still access the subconscious network. He was forewarned of any actions we might take just as we were of his. It's been a stalemate for hundreds of years, with both sides gathering resources but unable to strike."

Maura scoffed at the explanation. "So that's why your coven never helped us? You couldn't save us from his minions because he might have gotten upset? You used us to take out his strongest offensive weapons without getting involved, so he couldn't blame you?"

Betty winced at the accusation, telling Jane that it wasn't far from the mark. She felt her own emotions teeter towards rage, but tried her best to remain calm since it looked like Maura was struggling. Jane stepped forward with a furious scowl and pointed an accusing finger at Betty. "You heartless monsters. Do you realise how much heartache you could have saved us?"

Betty nodded sadly. "We know. But things had to happen this way, and hopefully you'll understand why some day. I can't explain everything now, mostly because knowing would only make what still has to happen more difficult, but also because we don't have time. We need to keep moving."

Betty ran off again without another word. Jane looked searchingly at Maura, trying to gauge her mood. There was a lot of turmoil on her face, but the main emotion Jane could see was anger. Maura was clenching her fists, staring after Betty with a look of pure fury. She glanced at Jane with a determined look, and disappeared after Betty without further explanation. Jane was surprised at the strength of Maura's reaction, but she quickly followed to make sure Maura didn't do anything she might regret.

Maura looked to be gaining on Betty, and since Jane wasn't sure of her intentions, she ran in between them and asked Betty another heated question. "So why are you suddenly helping us now? Aren't you scared Aro will know what you're doing and stop us?"

Betty shook her head assuredly. "When events looked like they were heading in the right direction, we played the only card we had. We disabled the subconscious network, so Aro couldn't see what's going to happen anymore. We blinded ourselves, and anyone that relies on the network for their powers to work properly, but we also gave ourselves the advantage of surprise. He doesn't know our hopes or plans. He won't see you coming."

Jane looked back at Maura worriedly, feeling another blast of anger as she responded to Betty's smug assertion. "So that's why Alice's powers stopped working. It was nothing to do with me, or Frankie. You stopped her from seeing anything else."

Betty nodded quickly. "We saw that the future was heading in a positive direction, but if she had seen anything past that point and passed it along to you, it would have changed things for the worse. We wouldn't have ended up here."

Maura put on a burst of speed, tackling Betty and holding her to the ground by her throat. Jane skidded to a halt, flinching as a furious tirade exploded out of Maura's hoarse throat. "Would she had seen Alec bombing the precinct and taking Jane? Would we have been able to stop Jane being turned? Would I have needed Jane to save me? Could you have spared us all of this?"

As Betty screamed in panic and metallic squeals rent the air, Jane realised in horror that she was about to watch her best friend kill Betty in cold blood.


	28. Chapter 28

Hi all!

Welcome to the next chapter! Thanks for all the encouraging reviews, it's lovely to know that we haven't all abandoned the fandom just because the show has finished! Please keep letting me know what you think.

Thanks for the great betaing from JaneyGWF!

Enjoy!

* * *

Jane pulled Maura off her struggling victim and held her back as Betty clumsily rolled onto her side with a strained cough, her hand around her cracked throat. Jane had been taken aback by the strength of Maura's anger, and she was struggling to adjust to the uncharacteristic violent behaviour of her friend. Jane shared some of Maura's anger, especially about the ordeal Maura had been forced to endure. However, Jane wasn't angry about her transformation, since it had all turned out okay so far, whereas Maura was obviously still feeling guilty about it happening at all.

Maura was snarling angrily as she squirmed and yelled in Jane's arms. "Let me go Jane, I need answers. This could have all been prevented. You could have been safe."

Jane hauled Maura away a few metres, putting her own body between Maura and Betty before answering with a demanding and urgent plea. "Maura stop! Look, I'm mad too, we've obviously been played without even knowing the game. But we need all the information before we do something drastic here! We don't really know the full picture yet, and honestly it sounds like she wasn't the one responsible. She's here now, she's a resource we need to use. Please, calm down!"

Maura finally managed to twist out of Jane's grip and immediately crouched in an aggressive stance, inching around Jane to get a better angle to attack Betty. Jane blocked her line of sight with her own body, drawing an enraged snarl from Maura. Jane was baffled by the reaction she was seeing, and took a moment to try and understand even as she tried to stop Maura from finishing her assault.

Yes, Maura had just been through a horrific ordeal. Her sense of self had been completely removed, and she had been forced to live through the sensation of Jane clumsily putting her mind back together. It was possible that Jane had messed something up, that there was still undetected damage in Maura's head that was changing her behaviour.

However, as troubling as that thought was, Jane knew in her gut that wasn't the case. Maura had simply been through more than anyone should ever have to endure, and it had changed her. She had become a vampire against her will, and everything that had happened after that had only served to distance herself from her old life and the person she'd been. She had tried her best to resist her circumstances, remaining true to her values and beliefs, but every person had a limit.

With a pained sigh, Jane understood that Maura had finally reached her breaking point. Everything she had tried to do had backfired or been overruled by outside forces, and no matter how hard she tried to stay herself and do what she thought was right, it seemed to make things worse. She was accumulating a long list of things to feel guilty about, sins both real and imagined, and no matter what Jane said there was no easy way to forgive herself or forget what had happened.

Jane realised that Maura was at a tipping point, right here and now. Betty had said all her previous mental barriers were gone, so Maura could choose what sort of person she wanted to be, unfettered by her past hang-ups. If she allowed her emotions to override her brain, believing that nothing she did mattered, she would do something regrettable, and she would be set on a path to destruction. She would slowly give up on her morals, simply taking the easy path to get what she thinks she wants. Maura would still try to protect those she loved, but her methods would become violent and twisted, the ends justifying the means against everything she believed was right. Jane could see the path before them, as clear as if she had Alice's predictive powers. She knew she needed to make Maura see that there was a better way, before it was too late.

Jane stepped closer, grabbing her arms in an attempt to get through to her. "Okay, that's enough. If you want her, you go through me, understand?"

Maura growled loudly, the rasp in her voice making the sound even more threatening. Jane widened her stance, shock appearing on her face as she realised Maura was actually about to attack her. She felt a slight sensation of pain as Maura gathered her mental powers, about to launch a full assault. Jane couldn't help flinching in anticipation of the pain, even as she pushed Maura away and crouched in a defensive stance.

Then, at the last moment, realisation flashed across Maura's face and she stumbled back a step. Her expression crumpled into sorrow as she turned away, a heartbroken sob ripping from her chest as she fell to her knees. Jane breathed a sigh of relief before rushing to Maura's side, gathering her against her chest in a crushing hug.

Maura gasped as her whole body trembled with awareness, her hands clutching desperately at Jane's arms. "Jane, I'm so sorry! I don't know what I was thinking!"

Jane rubbed her hands over Maura's arms soothingly, again wishing they could both shed a few well deserved tears. "It's okay. I know you didn't mean it."

Maura tried weakly to pull away from Jane in protest. "But you don't understand, I was about to attack you! I almost…"

Jane pulled her back into her chest with determination, her long arms capturing Maura's struggling hands and holding them still. "I know, I get it. I know you didn't mean to hurt me, and I don't think you really meant to hurt Betty either, but you just needed to hurt someone. You're hurting so much, and you haven't had any real outlet to deal with it."

Maura nodded dumbly, still obviously in shock over her actions. Jane loosened her arms and tucked Maura's chin into her shoulder. She felt Maura's hands find their way around her bicep, their tense grip signalling Maura's agony and fear.

Jane held her for a few long minutes as she trembled and gasped, as close as a vampire could physically come to openly sobbing, wanting to give her all the time in the world. She could feel her own heart breaking as she felt the sorrow, guilt and anger Maura had been suppressing for months shake her tiny frame and leave her helpless in Jane's arms, desperate for comfort and guidance. Jane wanted so badly to provide it, but she had no idea how to help, other than being there to listen.

Jane managed to turn her head and glance back at Betty, who had taken the opportunity to drink one of the blood bags she'd been carrying. She looked shaken and frightened at the abrupt display of violence. Where her manner had previously been somewhat cocky and pretentious, she was now hunching her shoulders and cringing away from Maura as she desperately chugged the blood. She had lost her mature, all-knowing visage, seeming as young and innocent as she physically looked.

Jane let out another harried sigh in resignation, knowing from Betty's veiled clues over the last few days that their time was short. She knew they had to deal with whatever Betty was leading them towards before they could deal with their own issues, but it was just so unfair. She couldn't stand to see her friend suffer, and she felt powerless to stop it happening.

Frowning at the injustice of it all, Jane carefully pulled Maura away from her chest, feeling resistance as she tried to move her. "Look, I know we haven't had a chance to process any of this. And I promise we will make time once this is over. Whatever this is. Do you think you can hold it together for a while longer?"

Maura took a shuddering breath, her hands tightening around Jane's arm before loosening slowly. She nodded minutely, her expression sad and withdrawn as she pulled away from Jane.

Jane stopped Maura's miserable retreat, putting her hand under her chin and forcing her eyes up with a worried frown. "Talk to me. Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

Maura stared into space for a few long moments before giving Jane an exhausted and resigned look. "I'm always okay, Jane. I have to be."

Jane felt a huge weight settle over both of them with Maura's words, and stammered in protest of that somewhat bleak response, wanting to reassure her friend and take some of the burden off her. However, before she could find the words to make the situation better, Maura had already moved away and approached Betty. Jane groaned in defeat, resigning herself to make the best of the situation and watch Maura carefully for any sign she was about to lose herself completely.

For now, Maura seemed to have found yet another source of internal strength as she moved to confront Betty. Her posture was calm and non-threatening, but Betty seemed to take her approach as a threat, immediately throwing the blood bags away and shouldering her pack.

Betty lurched to her feet, her hand still clasped around her healing throat and her tone subdued as she tried to regain her poise, but she was obviously fearful of more reprisals if she chose her words poorly. "Look, I've been nothing but honest with you since I turned up. You wouldn't be alive if it weren't for me. Jane would be still trying to get you to the Cullens, who would be able to do nothing. You would be dead within a week, and you would have spent most of that week an empty shell."

Jane noticed Maura flinch, but Betty continued with frantic speed, desperate to explain herself. "Also, we didn't know what would happen once we brought the network down. Everything we know about the future is based on a very accurate statistical prediction, which requires both the combined brain power of the entire human race's subconscious plus a sound knowledge of all the variables. Basically, because of the way the network was created and developed, it acted like a giant organic supercomputer, well before supercomputers were even invented. We could tap into that well of information, and so could people like Alice, only she didn't realise where the information was coming from. Whenever we encountered something new, like a hybrid, or a werewolf, or changing of the entire fabric of the world's consciousness, our predictions got a bit thrown off. We could only guess how you'd react to things after the active subconscious suggestion was gone. For example, the BPD bombing could have gone a few different ways, but we thought the most likely result would be the two of you causing an evacuation before Alec got there. We underestimated the residual effect of the 'don't tell, ever' suggestion. It still exists in people's mind, even though we're not actively reinforcing it. It's been there for hundreds of years, and apparently it takes longer than a few days to get past it. Turns out, it was strong enough to stop you from warning your friends, on the off chance they might find out. By the time we realised, it was too late to do anything. We could only try to contain some of the damage, and support you after your confrontation with Alec ended, one way or the other."

Jane could see that Maura was still processing, both Betty's words and her own actions, so she jumped in with the first question that came to mind. "So why send only you? It sounds like there are hundreds of vampires in your coven, where are the rest of them?"

Betty scoffed at the faint accusation underlying Jane's words. "They are all trying to repair the damage we did when we dropped the network. People have no idea how much they rely on it without even knowing about it. There has been a marked increase in violence and intolerance across the world. People who depend on what they think are their natural instincts have been blinded, since what they were actually listening to was a faint connection to the people around them. Psychologists, doctors, cops, politicians, peacemakers, lawyers, they all have lost the ineffable thing that makes them great at their jobs. Parents suddenly can't connect with their kids. People from different races can't even try to understand each other. The humans will never know why, but their whole world has changed for the worse. We're trying to reconnect people before the connection fades altogether, and the damage becomes permanent. We've got more varied powers in the coven now than we did when the network was first created, so we're hoping we'll be able to patch it back together without losing anyone. There are a lot more people in the world now, so it may be an insurmountable task. We're just not sure. But it seemed like our only option. At the time, the direction Aro was taking the world in looked worse than any fallout from our actions. We may have been wrong."

Maura looked at Jane with apprehension, which she returned with an edge of panic. They suddenly realised how big the stakes were, not just for them but for everyone, and Jane felt once again like that helpless ant. Even when she found out who the players were, the game got more complicated and she felt even more out of her depth.

Betty saw the exchange of looks and took a moment to calm herself, her indignation lessening as she concluded her explanation. "We honestly didn't know what would happen throughout all of this. We went in blind, just like you. We tried to do the best for everyone, and we won't know if it was the right thing until it all plays out. We almost couldn't spare anyone at all to come and help you, but we realised making sure you two had this information was of vital importance, so we took a risk and made time for me to talk to you. I'm the youngest in the coven, so I'm the least helpful in fixing the network, but I need to return to the others as soon as possible. Now, if you're done attacking me, we still need to be somewhere."

Maura closed her eyes and concentrated for a few moments, before turning back to Jane with a contrite grimace. "She's telling the truth. About all of it. I saw some of the trouble she was referring to, Jane. The world is heading for a new era of war and conflict unless they can fix it."

Betty nodded seriously in accompaniment to Maura's dire statement. "Exactly. And the two of you can help, but we need to go right now."

Without waiting for a reply, Betty turned and shot into the trees once again, and Jane and Maura immediately followed. Jane guessed that Maura had used some combination of Edward and Jasper's powers to read Betty, and the severity of the situation had obviously come through clearly.

Jane started to appreciate Betty's attitude and demeanour since her arrival. She was still young, possibly younger in actual years on this earth than the both of them, and she had been changed when she was around twenty. She had somehow joined this coven of vampires with thousands of years' collective experience and knowledge. That had to be intimidating, and had most likely led to the tough and arrogant persona they had seen. Under all of that, however, Betty knew the magnitude of the challenges they were up against, and was doing her best to help them as fast as possible. She hadn't rushed Maura's healing process, she hadn't bullied them into doing anything, and in fact she had given them a choice at every turn. Jane knew that there could be more going on, that Betty could have more inside information that she was using to fool them, but it honestly didn't feel that way. Betty had actually handled the whole situation with poise and dignity under the circumstances, and Jane felt a bit guilty for all the accusations and distrust she had gotten from them. A brief burst of empathised regret from Maura told Jane that she felt the same.

Betty started speaking as soon as they cleared another highway, all trace of joviality gone under a grim tone. "So, now you understand the history and the players. The other thing you need to understand is the current situation. Now, I already explained that vampires, like all people, try to find new and better ways to kill each other. The latest discovery is hybrid vampires. The coven has been aware of hybrids for a few centuries, but the possibility of their existence was only revealed to Aro and the general vampire population a little over a year ago. I believe Edward and Bella mentioned their daughter when you met?"

Jane remembered how Bella's whole demeanour had changed when her daughter had come up in conversation. She had been reluctant to broach the subject, and with her new understanding of vampire politics Jane began to understand why. "I'm guessing Aro wanted her when he found out about her. Another power to add to his collection."

Betty nodded grimly. "He could barely contain himself when he understood what he was seeing. A hybrid child, born of two gifted parents, that was also unmistakeably gifted. Yes, he wanted her, and the other gifted vampires in the Cullen coven, but once he realised he wasn't going to get them, he conceived a new plan. He was going to breed his own gifted brood of hybrids."

Jane groaned as realisation struck. "The births in the cities."

Betty nodded again, but her answer was a disagreement. "They were hybrid births, yes, but the ones you became involved in had nothing to do with Aro. You remember I mentioned the Romanians, Stefan and Vladimir? They are bitter enemies of Aro, and would do anything to defeat him. They were also present at the almost battle between the Cullens and the Volturi, and they came to the same conclusion about the value of hybrids. They managed to convince around thirty other vampires to join their cause, insisting that with hybrids on their side they could bring down the Volturi. They, however, lack Aro's restraint when it comes to maintaining the secrecy of their activities.

"Aro carefully abducted human women with a genetic predisposition towards vampire powers and had his gifted male guards impregnate them. The Volturi then cared for the mothers to be, giving them blood and adequate medical care, eventually turning them when they delivered their children in order to gain a new member of the guard. While these actions are obviously vile and reprehensible, they were at least subtle and not obviously vampiric as far as humans are concerned."

Jane almost tripped in shock as she realised what Betty meant by impregnate, and what those women must have endured. She glanced at Maura, who was looking disturbed at the revelation but not overly surprised. Jane realised her genius friend must have already realised how the mothers had become pregnant, but being confronted with the reality was a challenge to both of their composures. Despite years of seeing the worst humanity had to offer as part of her job, this was one aspect of violence that Jane had never been able to accept as just part of humanity. It was completely inhuman and unacceptable, as was any human or vampire that was a part of it.

Betty sounded like she was struggling to continue with this horrific part of the explanation. "The Romanians and their allies simply mated with as many human women as they could find that wouldn't be missed, leaving them to fend for themselves before coming back to retrieve the hybrid after it was born. They chose five American cities, and divided their forces amongst them, only banding together to defend themselves when the Volturi came to investigate. They managed to kill a few of the guard, but the Volturi grew cautious, and decided to wait until their own armies were ready before returning to the U.S. The small force you encountered were supposed to investigate the status of the Romanian hybrids, but not engage. They actually disobeyed Aro's commands in order to come after you, to their own detriment."

Betty sighed sadly. "Unfortunately the Romanians showed no compassion towards the women they used for their purposes. The mothers were left to die alone and in great pain, with most of them never figuring out that their body needed blood in order to sustain the pregnancy. Many hybrids died before being born, as their mothers could not survive long enough to carry them to term."

Jane felt a massive surge of emotion swell within her, a wave of fury directed at the vampires responsible for so much wanton destruction. She remembered that they had thought of them as rogue vampires, out to bring down the Volturi and make the world somehow better, but they had been wrong to think of them as the good guys. There were no good guys here, simply two sides that had equally abhorrent ways of waging war against each other. She felt a sudden blast of revulsion and rage from Maura via her projected empathic powers, and almost tripped again at the intensity. Maura glanced over apologetically and the flow of emotion stopped, but Jane could clearly feel that their opinions on this issue were in agreement. Jane watched Maura for a few more moments, worried about how intense the emotions coming from her were, but returned her attention to Betty with a grimace as she realised there was still nothing she could do.

Betty had stumbled as well when Maura unintentionally used Jasper's power, but continued on doggedly, her speech speeding up as if she was hurrying to finish in time. "The deaths were mostly cleaned up afterwards, but their actions drew a lot of attention from law enforcement such as yourselves. It took a lot of direct mind control on our part to avoid discovery, including FBI agents, police lieutenants, coroners, reporters, random witnesses, homeless, even family members. We have been stretched to the limit trying to contain this war, even before we were forced to disable the network and then pick up the pieces."

Betty glanced back sadly before continuing. "The outcome of all this is simple, but bleak. Aro has managed to breed a small army of hybrids, around half of which are gifted in some way. He has also added at least ten new gifted vampires to the Volturi guard, his own personal vampire army, to replace the ones lost in conflict with you and the Romanians. We aren't sure exactly what their powers are, since he has been careful to shield them from our mental view by keeping his hybrids close. They are still unknowns, so they completely blocked our future vision whenever they are involved. We have no idea if being pregnant with a hybrid changes a woman's sense of self enough to alter the powers she has once turned, which means we have no idea what any of the new guard's powers are. We know that at least two of them are potential energy users, and the rest may have some sort of mental powers.

"Aro has used this army to great effect. They have already eliminated all opposing hybrids in Europe, Africa and Asia. The only continent with any remaining threat was North America, and he is here now, finishing off his campaign. There have been a great many casualties on both sides, but Aro is almost certain to be victorious unless something changes. He will have the army he needs to be able to oppose the coven, and we will be powerless to stop him. He will use his new guards to take control of the network once we recreate it, and he will effectively have control of the world."

Jane felt a surge of revulsion at the thought of that outcome. Despite having never met Aro, she had seen the results of his commands, the minions he had cultivated, and the cruelty of his goals. The prospect of him obtaining more power than he had was terrifying.

Unfortunately, Maura and Jane had no time to react to the hopelessness and inevitability in Betty's statement before they broke through the trees. They had emerged onto a large plot of land with a massive house in the centre. Jane mentally retraced their route and realised they had reached the Cullen property where they had taken the hybrid children and the newborn police officer.

The house was on fire. Smoke and flames belched from all the upper windows and doors, and part of the roof had already collapsed. Debris littered the pristine grass where it had exploded out of the side wall. Two hooded figures stood a safe distance away from the house, calmly watching it burn. The Volturi were here, and they were making sure nobody escaped.

Jane heard Maura whimper in fear when they both heard the sound of people screaming for help. Jane gasped in horror when she realised the voices were the innocent wails of terrified children. Betty grimly took in the scene, before turning to her two companions. "Aro beat us here. The Cullens were the last line of resistance between him and the remaining hybrids. From the look of it, he's already gone, taking anyone he wanted and leaving the rest to die."

Jane was torn between wanting to help and needing to ask more questions, but Betty took the choice away as she gently patted the pair on the shoulder before backing towards the forest. "I've told you all you need to know. You asked before what we wanted from you. All we want is for you to do what you think is best for the world. We aren't trying to set up a new warrior group, we realise it just won't work in the modern world. We are simply giving the two most capable people we could find all the information and hoping for the best. Now it's up to you to decide what to do. I'm needed elsewhere. If we all survive, I'll look you up sometime."

With a brief but sad smile, Betty turned and disappeared into the trees. Maura grabbed Jane's arm in desperation. "Jane, I can hear my mother in there."

Jane didn't hesitate, bursting into motion with Maura right beside her. They didn't pause as they crashed through the nearest wall and into the inferno.


	29. Chapter 29

Hi all!

I hope you all had a nice Xmas and New Year. Welcome to 2017!

Thanks to JaneyGWF for her continuing beta services!

I hope you enjoy the chapter, please as always let me know what you think!

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When they crashed through the wall into a long hallway, Maura immediately tried to work out where to go, but her senses let her down. Her sense of smell was rendered completely useless by the overpowering stench of burning substances and smoke that pervaded the air. The house was creaking alarmingly above them, hiding any sounds, and her telepathy didn't include direction. She could mentally hear people crying out in fear, but she didn't know where they were.

As she started to dash forward in a random direction, she felt Jane pull her to a sudden stop, her eyes closed in furious concentration. "Wait, I think I see them. There's some kind of basement below us, and I can see movement down there. I think there's a human, four vampires and I'm guessing the rest are hybrids."

Jane opened her eyes and grabbed Maura's hand, pulling her towards a doorway that led downstairs. They moved at top speed, knowing they would be hard pressed to get everyone out before the building collapsed, and also remembering the two Volturi guards outside watching for just such an eventuality. They had smashed through a wall out of the Volturi's line of sight, but that didn't mean they had gotten in undetected.

As they reached the doorway, they quickly understood why none of the vampires had managed to escape. The door and its frame were made of reinforced high grade steel. Maura's borrowed engineering knowledge quickly assessed the structure, and she determined that the room would be able to withstand the force of a newborn vampire's attack. It was sealed and secured, and neither Jane nor Maura had the time or skill to try and pick the locks. Maura turned away from the door, her eyes pleading with Jane to find another path into the room.

Jane nodded and led the way through the house, her eyes closed again as she looked for more options. She suddenly stopped in the centre of a large parlour, her focus on the floor beneath her feet. She quickly bent down, drawing back her arm and delivering a powerful punch to the wood panelling. It splintered easily beneath her massive strength, and Jane started clearing debris, trying to access the next layer of flooring.

Maura heard the house above them starting to disintegrate, the sounds of fire and destruction drawing closer every second, and moved next to Jane to help. They yanked pieces of wood, metal and plastic out of the floor with wild abandon, until they reached another level of reinforced armour. However, these sheets of metal were designed to be impenetrable from the basement, not from this side, and the pair managed to loosen the attachments, prising the metal away from the support beams.

Maura felt like her brain was about to overheat. There were too many thoughts, too many feelings, and she wasn't sure which ones were hers. She could hear Jane's calm mental voice, focussed on her task and on the people they were trying to save. But she could also hear young voices, panicked and afraid. She could hear older voices, resigned and regretful. She could hear her mother's voice, trying desperately to provide comfort to others even as she gave up hope.

Maura knew this wasn't the time to master her mental talents, so she instead tried to supress them and focus on her physical actions. However, since she had accepted that her powers wouldn't kill her and opened her mind to their existence, she had been gradually picking up more and more from others, and the flood of foreign sensations proved harder to stop than they had been to start.

First it had been Jasper's empathy, letting her feel Jane's sharp anger and Betty's overwhelming fear. When they had crossed highways in their frantic dash towards the Cullen property, she had picked up the general unease from the humans, which she now understood to be an aftereffect of the subconscious network's disappearance. The outside feelings had started to work on her own equilibrium, making it hard to stay calm as Betty continued explaining their disturbing circumstances.

Then she had accessed Edward's telepathy as well, and started hearing Betty's thoughts. She saw the devastation of the vampire wars she described, she saw the cold violence of the Volturi, and she saw the truth of where the future was heading on its current course. Betty had been very careful to avoid any thoughts of the potential future involving Jane and Maura, focussing almost entirely on the bigger issues, but she could feel how much Betty needed them to believe her words and take whatever actions she hoped for.

Maura knew the guilt she was feeling was all her own, however. She still felt guilty for her part in the current state of events, even though in hindsight there was nothing she could have done differently. She didn't have enough information to navigate vampirism without causing harm to those around her, and she had been manipulated into staying near the people she loved. It was all unavoidable, but she still felt incredibly guilty, especially when she looked at Jane. Her beautiful, forgiving friend, who was now a motherless vampire determined to stick by her side no matter what it cost her.

Jane had stuck close by her side physically throughout the current situation, steering her through a solid wall and into a burning house in an attempt to help, despite Maura's attempted attack only minutes earlier. She was acting fearlessly and selflessly as always, throwing herself at danger on the hope that she could save someone else pain. Maura tried to draw on Jane's steady calm, ever the level-headed first responder, as there were too many other emotions fighting for her attention and she needed something to anchor her, to focus her mind enough to get through the current crisis. There would hopefully be time to fall apart later.

She definitely felt the need to fall apart. She had no idea why she had attacked Jane. She had no idea what she was feeling or thinking. She felt like she had no solid sense of self. She felt like her mind and personality would fall apart at the smallest test, leaving a stranger she didn't know in her body. Worse, she had no idea what to do, she just felt lost. She desperately needed to be alone, and take the time to think it all through, but there simply hadn't been time to stop. She knew she had to keep going, so she tried to push all her confusion aside and focus on her actions, relying on Jane to steer her in the right direction. Whatever else happened, she still trusted Jane implicitly.

When they had cleared a big enough space to drop through, they glanced at each other for a moment before Jane stepped out of the way, allowing Maura to drop down into the basement. She heard Jane continue to pull away metal, increasing the size of the hole, but Maura's attention was immediately drawn to the sight of her mother, surrounded by young children, doing her best to comfort them as the room shook and filled with the noise of the house collapsing around them.

Maura couldn't help her relieved cry as she lunged forward towards the group. "Mother!"

Constance looked up in disbelief, before her expression turned to joy and gratitude. She got up as quickly as she could without hurting the children and practically fell into Maura's arms, her arms grasping desperately at the form of her daughter. "Darling! Are you alright? Frankie called, he told us what happened! I was so worried, I didn't think I'd ever see you again!"

Maura wasn't sure how to respond, since she really didn't feel alright, but she suddenly felt safer in her mother's arms. "I'm okay, mom."

Constance's arms tightened, obviously hearing the grief and pain in Maura's voice. "Is Jane here too? Is she alright?"

Maura hugged her mother for another few precious moments before pulling away and nodding. "She is upstairs, clearing more space to get out. We'll need to jump out through the ceiling."

Quickly glancing around, Maura realised she would have to carry everyone out herself. The four vampires Jane had seen had obviously been incapacitated by the Volturi before being sealed in. Maura recognised Emmett, Rosalie and Esme, and assumed the fourth was the police officer that had been bitten during the raid that had started this mess. Their limbs and heads were all bound in some kind of binding mechanism, clearly designed for restraining vampires. It involved lots of metal plates and high strength chains, and the whole thing was secured by a heavy duty lock. They were alive and intact, but seemed to be completely immobile, even unable to talk past the steel gag.

Before Maura could move away, Constance put a hand on her cheek, her eyes inspecting Maura's expression carefully. "Darling, what's happened?"

Maura felt a huge simmering ball of emotion throb in her chest, wanting nothing more than to tell her mother everything and have her fix it somehow. Instead, she resolutely pushed her feelings away with a tight smile. "It can wait. We need to get out, now."

Maura flitted over to Esme, quickly examining the locking mechanism. She quickly decided to try and release them after they got out of the building and away from the Volturi, as the device looked like it would be hard to release. She could hear the fire in the walls around the room, as well as in the room above, and knew they had barely minutes before this room would be engulfed. Smoke was already leeching into the room from somewhere, the acrid stench making the children start to cough.

Moving back to her mother, she picked her up in a careful hold before jumping through the hole in the roof that Jane had widened. It was now adequately wide to fit a vampire carrying two passengers. As Maura flew through the hole, she saw Jane jump down behind her.

Maura put Constance down, glancing around the room and quickly realising they couldn't get back to the hole they had made coming in. "Wait here. We'll get everyone up, then get out together."

The next few minutes were a flurry of activity as she and Jane jumped up and down repeatedly, grabbing people and carefully pulling them out of the prison that was intended as their tomb. Constance kept all the young hybrids together, her calm voice reassuring them despite the swirling smoke and crackling flames. There were eighteen hybrids, with apparent ages between ten and fourteen. The oldest were helping Constance with the young ones, but they all looked terrified. Everyone who needed to breathe had started coughing due to the dense smoke, and the heat was climbing rapidly.

Finally Jane and Maura managed to manoeuvre the four vampires out of the hole, still locked in their restraints. Jane immediately closed her eyes again, trying to find the safest way out of the parlour. Maura moved to organise the hybrids, getting some of the bigger ones to work together lifting the captive vampires. They were all more than willing to help, especially when Constance guided them. Maura marvelled at the way her mother had apparently become a source of comfort to these lost children, especially considering her continued insistence that she was a poor example of a mother. Maura smiled sadly at the proof that Constance was perfectly capable of being maternal and nurturing when the occasion called for it. However, instead of dwelling on the situation she pushed aside any maudlin thoughts and focussed on Jane.

Jane opened her eyes, her furrowed brow an indication of the difficulty ahead. "Okay, I think our best option is the front wall. The others are cut off by the fire. I'll go first, followed by Maura. We'll try to keep the Volturi occupied while the rest of you run. Get to the forest, and then keep going. Run at least a few miles into the trees, then stop when you find somewhere a bit defensible. We'll follow you as soon as we can. Everyone understand?"

The hybrids all nodded, all gathering around the vampires they were carrying, or in the case of the youngest, hanging on to the hem of Constance's shirt. Maura spared a quick glance for her mother, full of yearning and grief, before she turned to Jane and nodded. Jane gave her a quick smile, full of bravado, before she turned and sped towards the front wall.

Maura was right on her heels as they crashed through the wall, immediately finding themselves face to face with the two Volturi guards, one male and one female. Both of them wore bloodthirsty expressions as they lowered their hoods, clearly excited about the prospect of a fight.

Before Jane and Maura could move, both Volturi suddenly vanished. Maura whipped her head around, frantically trying to locate them, and felt a fist solidly connect with her chest. She found herself flying back toward the house, a burning wall in her path. There was barely time to twist in the air and take the impact on her shoulder before she hit, ashes and burning debris falling over her.

She immediately shot to her feet and leapt back through the opening, realising her clothes were on fire. She rolled on the ground, managing to put out the flames, before feeling another hammer blow to her face. She flipped through the air again, this time towards the forest. She hit a tree and crumpled to the ground, feeling cracks emanate across her face and down her neck. She couldn't take many more hits like that.

As she looked around again, trying to find her assailant, she could hear the metallic squealing associated with a vampire taking extreme damage. A moment later, she heard Jane scream, and immediately ran towards her friend. As Jane came into sight, her face pressed into the ground, a hand grasping at her throat as something invisible held her arm behind her back, Maura felt an iron grip around her own throat and another hold down her arms.

Suddenly, Maura realised her mistake. One of the Volturi must be using some sort of mental power to conceal their presence, both visual and mental since Maura couldn't hear their thoughts. She reached in her mind for the one Cullen defensive power she hadn't already activated, Bella's shield.

The effect was immediate. She could instantly see the Volturi holding Jane down and choking her, as well as the arm around her own body. She tried to use her offensive power on the female holding Jane down, but her emotions were too scattered to give the assault much intensity. Instead of falling away from Jane in pain, the Volturi woman simply turned to glare at Maura, before returning her attention to Jane, cackling in psychotic glee as she twisted her arm further. Jane yelled again, her free arm flailing aimlessly since she still couldn't see her attacker.

Maura felt the hand around her throat tighten, and her skin started to squeal in protest. She desperately struggled against the Volturi uselessly, unable to gain any leverage in her current position.

She heard the voice of her assailant in her ear as he yelled to his companion. "Stop playing and burn her already! Aro said they're dangerous, finish her off!"

The female Volturi smiled cruelly at Jane before lifting her head to look at the burning house. A nearby wall was engulfed in flames. The fire suddenly twitched and pulled away from the building, building into a floating ball. The Volturi concentrated hard, still smiling as she brought the flaming sphere close to Jane's face. Jane still couldn't see the woman holding her down, but she could see the fire inching towards her. Maura watched helplessly as Jane's eyes closed, unable to do anything but watch and scream.

Suddenly Jane's attacker screamed and dropped Jane, her arms batting at her chest as if she was on fire. The ball of fire sputtered out of existence as the woman lost concentration and panicked. Jane crumpled to the ground, but continued to concentrate furiously. After a few moments, the woman started to smoke as energy crackled in her chest. Jane opened her eyes and launched into motion, hitting the woman with all her strength and propelling her into the air.

The woman exploded in mid-air, throwing them all towards the burning house. The vampire holding Maura was knocked loose and through the wall, leaving Maura gasping and stunned on the ground. Jane grimly shook off the impact and rushed to Maura's side, helping her up and checking over the cracks on her throat with concern. Maura was relieved to see all of Jane's limbs apparently intact and functional, but their attention was quickly drawn back to the last Volturi as he sped from the house, his cloak on fire. He glared at them furiously, but instead of attacking again he sprinted for the trees.

Maura managed to glean a jumble of thoughts and images before he ran out of range. Before she had a chance to try and decipher them, Jane yanked her towards the house, already moving towards the hole they had made when they exited.

Only then did Maura realise her mother and the hybrids hadn't made it out while they were fighting the Volturi. The hole Maura and Jane had made was now cut off by burning debris. Maura could hear the panic in her mother's mental voice, even as she continued to reassure her charges.

Jane didn't hesitate, crashing through yet another wall. The influx of oxygen caused a blowback, but Jane was fast enough to avoid it. She quickly emerged from the hole, her clothes smouldering but with her arms full of passengers, including Constance. Maura immediately followed her path, grabbing as many people as she could before running back outside.

Between the two of them, they managed to get everyone out of the burning building. The group moved a safe distance from the property, a few hundred metres into the forest, before collapsing to the ground. All the hybrids were coughing from the smoke, and more than a few were huddled around Constance, tears tracking clear paths through the soot on their faces. Constance was doing her best to comfort the little ones while coughing frantically herself.

Maura looked for Jane, finding her holding a young hybrid and whispering soothing words. She was a mess, with thin cracks still visible under the soot and grime covering her entire body. Maura felt a fresh wave of guilt for getting her friend hurt again, as well as being unable to help all these people. She had been useless in that fight, needing Jane to save her despite all the amazing powers she had at her disposal. When it counted, she was too unsure of herself to help.

Feeling suddenly overwhelmed, Maura turned from the group with a pained gasp and ran. She heard Jane's surprised yell as she sped away, but she didn't pause to look back. She increased her speed, desperately needing to be alone.


	30. Chapter 30

Hi all!

Welcome to chapter 30! Gosh this story has gotten long! Thanks for sticking with me, and for all your reviews, they are all read and appreciated!

Thanks also to JaneyGWF for her betaing!

* * *

As Maura fled, shewas buffeted by more emotions than she could handle. Guilt, sadness, grief, panic, fear, anger, frustration, desperation, longing, they were all there. She needed to get away, but she also needed to go back and help. She recalled she wasn't supposed to do this, she wasn't supposed to run away when things got hard, but she also didn't know herself well enough right now to predict her actions. She couldn't guarantee she wouldn't hurt anyone. That she wouldn't hurt Jane.

She remembered how sure of herself she used to be. When she'd been human. The world had made sense, she knew how to understand it. She could apply her science, and even baffling things would eventually become clear. She understood why she was the way she was, and she had learned how to respond to other people accordingly. Despite her own lack of inherent emotional comprehension, she had created methods for understanding other people's feelings and taking them into account.

However, since her brain had been rebuilt from her base instincts up, she felt like she understood nothing. The basic building blocks of her personality had been kicked away, leaving the rest of her being swaying on flimsy footings. If she had the time, she could analyse everything she was feeling, trace her memories, and figure out who she was now. Unfortunately, life was unfair, and there was no time.

One thing she still knew was Jane. Her friend hadn't changed, despite everything that had happened in the last week. She still helped others without hesitation, and cared deeply about everyone she met. She would throw herself between a threat and her loved ones at a moment's notice. And Maura had just abandoned her to deal with twenty scared, possibly injured supernatural creatures.

Maura felt part of her mind sharpen and focus. She needed to stop running and help. That was a part of her old self that was still important to her. She could find a way to help, to take some of the load off Jane, while still keeping enough distance to ensure she didn't hurt anyone.

The memory of her mother's coughing was enough to make her racing thoughts focus on a goal. She knew there was a high probability of damage to her lungs from smoke inhalation. The smoke in the house had been almost overwhelming, and it was surprising that nobody had passed out.

Maura suddenly reached the edge of the forest, finding herself on the outer edge of New York City. She moved quickly, finding a small hospital. With minimal guilt, she quickly stole a mobile oxygen tank, some breathing masks, and various supplies for bandaging burns. She also managed to find some equipment she could use if she needed to intubate, in the case of throat swelling. If there were more serious injuries, they would have to transport the casualties to a hospital.

Carefully holding her stolen supplies, Maura sped back into the forest, following her own scent back to the others. She found them quickly, having run less than five kilometres before she found the city.

Jane looked equal parts amazed, relieved and angry when she appeared. Maura remained silent, avoiding Jane's gaze, carefully dropping the supplies and assessing what needed to be done. Jane had somehow managed to free the Cullens from their bindings, and they had taken on the task of comforting and treating the hybrids. The fourth vampire, the recently turned police officer, was still in the restraints. Maura realised he couldn't be freed near this many warm-blooded hybrids and a human. He was still a normal newborn, and his thirst would be uncontrollable. She felt a pang of sympathy for the man, but knew that as a police officer he would most likely agree that continued restraint was the only option.

Maura glanced at Jane, who was watching her carefully, obviously trying to figure out why she'd run, or maybe why she'd come back. Her mother was sitting next to Jane, still coughing lightly but looking better. Wordlessly, Maura grabbed the oxygen and moved next to Constance, offering her the mask apologetically.

Constance took the mask, breathing deeply with a look of relief. Jane smiled tightly at the sight, obviously relieved that Constance had gotten some care, before standing and walking away. Maura watched her approach Esme, the two starting a tense conversation punctuated with lots of gestures at the rest of the group. Maura could have listened in if she'd wanted to, but instead she returned her attention to her mother.

Constance was watching her with the same intensity Jane had a moment ago, still breathing deeply from the oxygen mask. Maura dropped her eyes away from her mother's, feeling ashamed for leaving her. Although she'd come back with supplies to help, they both knew that hadn't been her original intention.

After a few moments, Constance pulled the mask away so she could speak softly. "Maura, I think it's best if I return to civilisation. I can't do much to help here, and my presence only makes things more difficult for Officer Jones."

Maura's panic must have shown on her face, as Constance immediately reached out and cupped her cheek. "Will you take me? It will give us some time to talk. Jane and the Cullens can manage here for a while, then you can return and help."

Maura nodded numbly, feeling swept along by events yet again. She glanced at Jane, whose expression softened as their eyes locked. She gave Maura a small but genuine smile of encouragement, before turning back to her conversation. For some reason, she seemed to trust that Maura would come back.

Maura got to her feet and picked up the oxygen supply, holding out the mask to Constance. Her mother batted the mask away, guiding Maura to put it down near Rosalie, who was tending to the young hybrids. Rosalie gave her a thankful smile, immediately putting the mask over the face of the hybrid in her arms. Constance returned the smile before taking Maura's hand and pulling her into the forest.

They walked in silence for a few moments before Maura realised her mother shouldn't be exerting herself. "Mother, please let me carry you. It's only a few minutes to the nearest hospital."

Constance walked a few more steps, stubborn as always, before a bout of coughing stopped her. She bent over slightly, holding a hand to her chest. Maura flashed to her side, pulling her up into a secure grip and moving quickly but gently through the trees.

Constance sighed in resignation, settling in for the ride but determined to talk while she had the chance. "Maura, you need to tell me what's happening to you. You're obviously in great distress, and you don't have to go through this alone."

Maura kept her eyes on her path, unsure how to respond. There were still innumerable thoughts flying around her head, so picking which one to talk about seemed impossible. She did want to talk, she realised she needed to, but she had no idea how to start.

Constance seemed to read her indecision, and tried again. "Jane gave me a basic outline of what happened since I saw you last. I couldn't be more proud of you, my darling. You've triumphed over more obstacles than most could hope to withstand in their lifetimes."

Maura surprised both of them with a heart wrenching sob. "I've made so many mistakes! I couldn't help Jane, I keep letting her down! I couldn't stop Alec alone, I couldn't save Frankie alone, I couldn't save myself! I still need Jane to save me from everything, and I just keep bringing her trouble and heartbreak! I'm supposed to be this powerful vampire, I have all these abilities, but I can't save anyone! I don't know who I am anymore! How can you be proud of anything I've done?"

Constance frowned in displeasure at Maura's words, her calm countenance disappearing in the face of her daughter's distress. "Maura, stop! Put me down right now!"

Maura obeyed immediately, carefully placing her mother's feet on the ground before backing away several paces. She was surprised when Constance followed her and pulled her into a crushing hug, at least by human standards.

Constance fought back tears as she pulled back and spoke softly, her fingers brushing across the distressed expression on Maura's face. "Darling, I have never heard so many lies out of your mouth! You have selflessly given everything you have to Jane and others that you care about. You have saved all of us at one point or another. And it is not your responsibility to do any of this alone. We have obviously relied on you too heavily and allowed you to take that burden, but it is not only yours to carry. The Volturi are a threat to everyone. Humans, vampires, hybrids, all of us. It is everyone's responsibility to combat them, not just yours. Understand?"

Maura nodded dumbly, but her expression didn't lift as she still felt weighted by her past failures and likely future inadequacies. As much as her mother might say she wasn't alone, it felt like the entire situation was her responsibility. She was the one who had been turned. She had aggravated the Volturi. She had the power to copy other abilities. She had drawn the attention of the coven. Although none of this had been purposeful, it was still all focussed on her, and she felt entirely incapable of being what people needed her to be.

Constance sighed in sympathetic sadness, pulling her into another hug. "Darling, please. Tell me what's scaring you. Tell me why you're so unsure."

Maura buried her face in her mother's shoulder, drawing some comfort from the soothing embrace. "I don't know where to start. I'm confused about everything."

Constance pulled back from the hug, drawing them both to sit on the ground. She positioned Maura's head on her shoulder, running soothing fingers through her hair. Maura hadn't felt this form of comfort since she was a young child, and it was most welcome.

Letting out a deep sigh, Maura decided to try and explain herself, even if it made her weakness obvious, even if it made her mother realise she wasn't worth comforting. "Did Jane explain what happened when she restored my mind? About the mental blocks built up throughout my life being gone?"

Constance nodded, and Maura continued in a subdued tone. "I don't really understand how I work now that they're gone. I didn't realise those boundaries existed in my mind when I was human, or even when I was a vampire, but now that they're gone I don't know what I'm capable of. I almost attacked Jane today, and I have no idea why."

Maura could feel Constance frown, but the hand in her hair didn't stop moving as she replied. "Do you still want to hurt Jane now?"

Maura lurched back, her expression horrified. "Of course not! I love Jane, I don't want anything to happen to her! I just don't understand why…"

Constance nodded sympathetically, gripping Maura's hands strongly. "I think you can be sure you won't try to hurt her again. I think everything was still new and confusing, and you did something without meaning to. Now you absolutely know you don't want to hurt Jane, you will remember how awful it made you feel, and you'll make sure it doesn't happen again. I think you'll protect her more, now that you know how it feels to directly endanger her."

Maura didn't look at all convinced, so Constance changed tactics. "Do you remember everything about your human life? Back before all of this happened?"

Maura nodded warily, and Constance continued with a smile. "There were many things you couldn't do. You couldn't lie, you couldn't guess, you couldn't eat anything if you thought there might be germs. One that always amused me was your inability to swear. You would sometimes try, then change halfway through to something like phooey. Do you remember?"

Maura let a small grin cross her face as she remembered several incidents of the phenomenon her mother described, prompting Constance to continue with a chuckle. "I could never figure out where that particular quirk had come from. I never forbade you from swearing, in fact a good curse can properly punctuate a key moment. But you were practically incapable. Do you remember why?"

Maura kept smiling as she reminisced. "I was around four years old. I was playing with father, I think he was showing me some artefacts from his latest expedition. He wouldn't give me one particular item, and I believe I called him a jerk."

Constance laughed loudly, a hand to her mouth. "You did? I can't imagine that went over well!"

Maura smiled wryly, the memory as vivid as when it first happened. "No, it didn't. He yelled at me. It was the first time I think he had ever yelled. I knew that what I had done must have been the worst thing ever, so I promised myself I wouldn't swear again. About two days after that, he went on a long expedition, and I didn't see him again for nearly a year."

Constance grew serious at that, remembering the period Maura was talking about. "I visited him a few times, but the area was too dangerous to bring a four year old."

With a nod, Maura finished her story. "It took a while to put together, but I think I associated swearing with him leaving, and I subconsciously blocked swearing from my vocabulary for fear that he would disappear for good if I ever swore again. I didn't even realise the connection until I thought of it years later, sometime in my twenties."

Constance smiled knowingly. "And when you realised the connection, did you try to overcome it? So you could learn to swear?"

Maura frowned in puzzlement. "No. I think I could have overcome it if I chose to, but I was fine with being unable to swear, even if people mocked me for being too polite. I didn't feel like swearing was necessary, I could express my feelings in other, more appropriate ways."

The smile on Constance's face grew wider. "So, even though you could have changed, you chose not to, because you liked who you were?"

Maura glanced at her mother's knowing look and sighed. "It's not that simple. I can't just take a moment to decide if I like the way I've been doing something. I had already changed before the brain damage, since becoming a vampire. I am finding it difficult to distinguish between my vampiric instincts and my human personality. They somehow blurred together during all of this, and I don't know which one will come out in a moment of duress. By the time I realise I'm reacting instinctively, it might be too late. I might have hurt someone."

Constance coughed lightly as she stroked Maura's hair again, her tone serious. "Maura, I can't know how you'll react either. But I believe you know, deep down, who you are. I think when you have a moment to think, you'll decide which aspects of your life to hold onto, and you'll be very much the same woman I've always known. You always took the best aspects of life, and didn't let the bad experiences change you. I don't believe that will change now. And in the meantime, you know you can trust me, and Jane, and everyone else you love, to steer you towards the right path. Trust us to tell you when you're going too far. Ask if you need help."

Constance paused, deciding whether to push forward with her next suspicion, but resolving that Maura needed to hear it. "As far as your vampiric instincts are concerned, I don't actually think they were responsible for your near attack on Jane. I think that was all you, as much as you might not wish to admit it."

Maura pulled away with an offended look, and Constance hurried to explain. "From what Jane explained, you had just heard a lot of uncomfortable facts. You had learned that there was someone who could have prevented all the pain you've been through, but they chose to do nothing. You have always been so polite and accommodating your whole life, Maura. You always put other people's needs before your own."

Maura stood up and brusquely walked away, feeling torn between offence and agreement. She stopped after a few steps, which Constance took as permission to continue earnestly. "I think your vampire instincts and your mental confusion gave you the excuse you needed to finally stand up for yourself. You have always acted like a proper lady, using words to deal with conflict, and avoiding conflict when you can. When you were human, you were always small, physically unimposing. That has changed. You now have the ability to enact your will upon the world with your hands instead of your mind. You wanted to hurt someone, and you let yourself indulge that impulse for the first time in your life. You gave yourself permission to act the way you wanted, not the way proper society would expect. Jane stepping in at that moment was necessary, because I believe you would have regretted hurting that woman, but at the time it would have seemed like she was stopping you from being yourself, which is why I believe you almost attacked her. You thought, for a split second, that she was holding you back, and you were angry."

Maura simply gaped, her mind frantically analysing all her actions and feelings, trying to understand. Constance stood and gripped her hands again, wanting to offer some motherly comfort against these hard truths. "You're allowed to be angry, Maura. You're also allowed to stand up for yourself. Jane just wanted to make sure you didn't do anything rash, before you'd had time to consider everything. Even a vampire needs time to sort through this much emotion and information. You haven't had that, and that's not your fault."

Maura pulled a hand out of her mother's grip, rubbing across her face as if to remove tears, even though she knew no tears would ever fall from her eyes. "Jane hasn't had time to think either, and she seems fine. She just became a vampire and kept going like nothing has changed. She isn't lashing out or being uncontrollable. She's just Jane. Why is it so much easier for her?"

Constance smiled ruefully. "Because she's Jane. She's had time to think about what being a vampire would be like, long before it actually happened. And she's had you protecting her, showing her the pitfalls to avoid. Most importantly, she had you there helping her through her transition. You saved her from being a blood-thirsty vampire, at great cost to yourself. She can hold herself together and be who she was, because you showed her how. Whether you feel like it or not, my darling, you are her hero."

Maura's lip trembled at Constance's words, and Constance felt a tear slide down her face as she pulled Maura in for another hug. They clung to each other for several long moments.

Maura felt like the shell of insecurity she had been trapped in was now cracked, the barest sliver of light visible. Her mother's words were an anchor, providing hope that she might be okay after all. Maybe she hadn't completely failed. Maybe Jane was the one thing she'd done right, and it was okay for Jane to help her now.

The moment was broken by a ragged cough from Constance. Maura immediately gathered her mother into her arms again, with no protest. She ran swiftly through the trees, quickly finding the hospital again. She let her mother down half a block from the front door, looking intently at her face to determine if she could make the walk.

Constance smiled, somewhat shakily, as she tried to reassure her daughter. "I'll be fine. I can walk a few steps to a hospital. You go and help Jane. You'll need each other, not just during this crisis. Go and figure out who you are, and don't hesitate to come back to see me. I'd really rather you didn't disappear from my life ever again."

Maura nodded sadly, embracing her mother carefully before giving her a nudge in the direction of the hospital. Constance gave her a warm smile before turning and walking away.

Maura flitted to a nearby rooftop, watching as her mother made her way to the hospital doors. As soon as she was inside and had been met by the staff, Maura leapt into motion, retracing her steps once again.

She was going back to Jane. She knew Jane had to be mad at her, but she would try to make this right. She would try to help. Because one thing was clear, even through the mess of her still scattered thoughts.

She still wanted to be a good person. She still wanted to help.


	31. Chapter 31

Hi all!

So as you've possibly noticed, my update speed has slowed somewhat as I'm now back at work. However, be assured that this story will be finished in good time! Thanks for your patience, and be assured that the reviews and PMs do encourage me to write!

Thanks once again to my long suffering beta, JaneyGWF, who assures me that she had fun while banging her forehead against my stubbornness in this chapter.

Enjoy!

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Jane hadn't been fooled by Maura's apologetic return with the medical equipment. The look on Maura's face when she ran away was panicked, not purposeful. She fled the group as soon as they were safe, only returning out of guilt or obligation. Jane had been surprised by her reappearance, expecting to have to track Maura down.

She had no idea what was going through her friend's head. There had been too many potentially life shattering events in the last week to even start to guess which one had tipped her over the edge, or even which edge she was falling from. Obviously she was fighting hard to keep it together, and Jane had no idea how to help. She couldn't even be sure whether Maura was angry or upset with her, or if it was all related to the Volturi, or even if there were some residual effects from the brain damage. For all Jane knew, Maura might be slipping towards a murderous rage, or a zombie state of withdrawal, or another coma, or something new entirely.

After watching her best friend run away, Jane recalled that she had immediately gone into crisis management mode to avoid despairing. She looked over the vampire's restraints, and managed to break them open with careful use of her explosive power on the lock. Esme was the first to be released, and she quickly started tending to the hybrids as Jane freed the others. Emmett had stopped her from releasing the turned officer, unsubtly reminding Jane how lucky she was to be the only newborn in existence without killer instincts.

The three Cullens had taken control of the hybrids, checking them over for injuries and comforting the ones still crying. Jane looked around helplessly, realising she couldn't do much to help without more information. She had no idea how to deal with young hybrids. She also had no idea where the rest of the Cullens and hybrids were, no idea how many Volturi they were facing, and no idea how to proceed from here. As she was about to start pacing, she felt Constance take her arm and allowed herself to be pulled down to sit next to the older woman. Constance looked rough, her clothes and hair full of soot and her face streaked with tears and sweat, but Jane could see her determination as she asked about her daughter's wellbeing. Constance had noticed how oddly Maura was acting, and knew there was something seriously wrong.

Jane explained everything to Constance, hoping for some advice from the person who'd known Maura the longest. She'd been too frazzled to omit anything, blurting out the whole story from when they had parted ways in New York. Constance already knew some of the general details from Frankie, but was distressed to learn of all the subsequent hurdles Maura had been forced to conquer just to be walking and talking again.

Before Constance could respond with any advice, Maura unexpectedly reappeared with an armful of supplies. Jane was shocked into silence, simply giving Maura a look she hoped was reassuring.

When Maura brought the oxygen over for Constance, Jane felt like she was intruding. She was still unsure where they stood, and decided to take herself out of the situation, so Constance could talk to her daughter in peace. Walking to the first vampire she saw, Jane abruptly engaged Esme in conversation.

Esme was holding herself together well, but Jane only had to talk to her for two sentences before she realised how fragile her calm was. The capture of Carlisle had obviously distressed her beyond her limits, and she was only managing her emotions on the slim hope that they might somehow get him back. There was desperation and urgency underpinning her every word, and her voice trembled as she explained everything she knew to Jane.

They discussed what happened at the house, and their current limited options. The entire Cullen family had been there, with the exception of Edward and Bella's daughter. The Volturi had come in force, the entire guard as far as Esme knew. The Cullens had been completely unprepared, as they were too used to relying on Alice to warn them of danger. They had been overcome by the powers of the new recruits Aro had added to his force. Bella managed to counteract any mental powers by encasing everyone in her shield, but they had no defence against an elemental attack, and Aro's new guard included several energy wielders. The Cullens were quickly overwhelmed, and placed in the special restraints the Volturi had brought. Aro took all the gifted vampires and hybrids with him, leaving the rest in the special cellar the Cullens had built to contain newborns. They had built the cellar with the intention of helping any new vampires transition as peacefully as possible, minimising violence and death, not for the purpose of torturing and killing innocents.

Jane counted carefully as Esme talked. There had been twenty six hybrids rescued during the police raid, meaning the Volturi must have taken eight. In addition, they had Carlisle, Alice, Jasper, Bella and Edward Cullen. Thirteen people to rescue, and dozens of Volturi to get past, as well as Aro.

Their team consisted of eighteen scared hybrids that Jane had no intention of letting anywhere near a fight, three powerless vampires, a newborn, and Jane. They couldn't do this without help. It was possible that they couldn't do it at all. The odds were too insurmountable.

Before Esme finished, she paused guiltily. Jane immediately bristled, knowing she wasn't going to like whatever Esme was about to say. She was right, and that final detail changed all their options.

The Volturi had taken a human as well.

Esme patted Jane's arm in sympathy after finishing her tale, moving quietly away to pull Emmett aside. Jane huffed in exasperation, feeling like the machinations of fate were pushing her inexorably in a no-win direction yet again. Not wanting to succumb to hopelessness, she started to calculate her odds of pulling off a rescue. She looked around the group, assessing the people she'd somehow ended up saving.

Rosalie was still helping the children, looking oddly content despite the circumstances. The hybrids seemed to like her as well, apparently already used to her constant presence. Jane guessed she must have taken a lead role in their care after the hybrids were rescued from the rogue vampires and the police. Jane immediately removed Rosalie from the resources she had to work with, recognising that she would need to stay with the hybrids.

Jane suspected Esme wouldn't be of much strategic value either. She seemed too soft, more suited to assisting Rosalie than participating in an attack against a vastly superior force. Plus her emotional state was more likely to hinder rather than help. Either they would find Carlisle dead, and Esme would be overcome with grief, or he would be alive and used to manipulate her. It would probably be best to leave Esme out of this as much as possible.

There was also the matter of the newborn. He couldn't be left alone, he would still need time to gain control over his instincts and adjust to his circumstances. Jane glanced at the poor man, still bound and helpless, and took a moment to be thankful to Maura for her own blissfully smooth transition into vampiric life. She honestly sometimes forgot she was now a vampire, since there were no bloodthirsty instincts clamouring for her attention. There were obvious differences in her body and mental capacity, but she was still completely herself.

Actually, Jane felt more than a little guilty about that. She had no shortage of respect for what Maura had gone through since becoming a vampire, but she couldn't truly understand her struggle because she hadn't actually experienced it. She felt helpless to get Maura through whatever was going on now, because as far as Jane's experience was concerned, becoming a vampire consisted of a relatively painless three days of inactivity, followed by free access to superpowers with very few drawbacks. She had a completely unique experience, as far as she knew, but unfortunately unique doesn't always equate to useful.

Frowning in resignation, Jane realised Emmett was probably the most suited to the task of controlling the newborn, since Esme and Rosalie would have their hands full. Emmett was strong and didn't seem to mind the prospect of physical force. He was also angry, and defensive of Rosalie, which meant he would also protect the hybrids she cared so much for. He was the last Cullen available to ensure the newborn didn't cause any damage, or hurt the hybrids.

Maura was her last potential option, one she rejected immediately. Jane knew that Maura was in no state to fight. Maura had been unable to contribute when they were confronted by the two Volturi outside the burning mansion. In the brief glimpse Jane had gotten before the female exploded, she had seen nothing but defeat on Maura's face. Jane didn't blame Maura at all for being unable to fight, it was actually a welcome change from the ninja-like vigilante. Jane dreaded the day when Maura became a cold, violent killer, rather than the sweet, caring woman she'd always been. That woman had no business participating in a rescue operation against an army, and Jane was determined to keep her away from the fight.

That woman needed to be protected now more than ever. She'd been through too much, and dealt with most of it alone. Jane was grateful that Constance was talking to Maura, and sincerely hoped it would help, but she was convinced that if Maura kept getting pulled into these violent situations, it would change her. She was too fragile after her brain damage, and Jane would do whatever it took to put her out of the Volturi's crosshairs.

A glance at the Cullens made Jane bristle again. They were obviously planning, and the gestures seemed to be including both her and the direction Maura had left with Constance. Jane felt her temper rising, and resolved that she wouldn't let them use Maura. Even if it meant she fought this battle by herself.

Unfortunately, her planning left Jane alone to deal with the Volturi. The odds were definitely insurmountable. It would be a suicide mission, one unlikely to do any good. She couldn't rescue anybody if she was dead.

Just as Jane was about to flop back onto the ground dejectedly, a welcome sight appeared before her eyes. Maura skidded to a halt right in front of her, an apologetic grimace firmly in place.

Jane lunged forward without thinking, grabbing Maura into a tight hug. Maura gasped at the unexpected embrace, but returned it fiercely. Jane couldn't help sighing in relief, the physical proof that Maura was still tolerating her presence a great load off her mind.

Neither wanted to break the hug, both needing the connection more than they had previously realised, but after a few long moments Esme cleared her throat quietly. The pair pulled away, Jane giving Maura as bright a grin as she could manage in the grim circumstances. It was returned in kind, the emotion muted by some inner turmoil, but Jane could see that Maura was trying very hard to be okay.

They turned to Esme expectantly, and the woman smiled kindly before speaking. "I've spoken with Emmett and Rosalie. We need to try and rescue our family. And everyone else. We think we can get in contact with some of our friends to help. There won't be enough of us to match the Volturi, but we can hopefully even the odds a little. Are you two willing to work with us?"

Jane was surprised to hear about potential allies, and was elated that her one-vampire suicide mission may not be the only option after all. She was about to answer, but was surprised when Maura jumped in first. "Of course we're willing! The Volturi have made themselves too much of a threat to ignore. If we don't confront them now, it may be too late."

Jane gaped for a moment, before gently tugging on Maura's arm. "We'll be back in one sec. Talk amongst yourselves. Call your friends."

Pulling Maura into the forest, far enough to be out of earshot, Jane whispered fiercely. "Maura, you can't get into a fight with the Volturi!"

Crossing her arms in stubborn defiance, Maura responded with great determination. "Of course I can. I've been doing nothing but get into fights with the Volturi since I was changed. I'm not missing this one."

Jane rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Exactly! You've done enough! It's my turn to take the heat with these guys! Come on, you know I'm the cop, it's my job to take on the bad guys!"

With a hurt scoff, Maura shrank back from Jane. "And what am I supposed to do? My old job? Wait patiently for you to do this all by yourself? Then calmly do your autopsy? Go back to Frankie and tell him that I let you take on an army alone? No, Jane, it's not going to happen. I know that you won't back down from this, and you need to understand that I won't either!"

A pang of pain went through Jane at the thought of making Maura and the rest of her family suffer like that, but she was determined. "I'm sorry, but I'll take that over having to explain to your mother that I let you get killed. You're not up for this, Maura! I need to protect you!"

Maura abruptly grabbed Jane's arms and yelled in her face. "Don't you understand? I need to protect you too!"

Jane pushed back and yelled just as loud. "Well you can't!"

They both glared, standing defensively as neither was willing to budge. Jane hated that they even had to have this conversation, she wanted to trust Maura the way she always had, but she just didn't understand where Maura's head was.

Abruptly, she realised the easiest way out of this argument, and lowered her stance into a crouch. She continued to stare at Maura, and snarled out her next sentence. "Okay, fine, you want in on this fight? Prove you can. If you take me down, I'll let you come."

Maura looked taken aback, and flinched at Jane's suggestion. "You want me to attack you?"

Jane smiled humourlessly in reply. "You think you're ready to do whatever it takes? Well right now, this is what it takes. You go through me, or you go home and stay safe, where you should be."

Maura sighed deeply, falling deep in thought for several long moments. Jane thought she'd won, that she'd gotten her point across. Maura wasn't a natural fighter, and that was as it should be. She didn't have the temperament for battle, and she tended to think rather than act. Her only battle experience recently involved massive loss of control, with Maura letting her bloodthirsty instincts take over. She didn't fight cleverly in that state, she only reacted, and that was at least as dangerous as freezing in the middle of a fight. With the odds they faced, either behaviour would be fatal, and the sooner Maura acknowledged that, the sooner they could move on.

Jane was extremely surprised when Maura opened her eyes and mirrored Jane's crouch, responding with a rasped determined utterance. "Fine. When I win, we'll discuss tactics."


	32. Chapter 32

Hi all!

Since it's my birthday about an hour from now, what better way to celebrate than with a new chapter!

Cheers to JaneyGWF as always!

I hope you enjoy, please as always let me know what you think!

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Before Jane could respond, Maura abruptly disappeared. Jane's mouth fell open in shock, since she hadn't realised Maura had that power. She must have picked it up while the male Volturi was holding her back at the Cullen house.

Jane was still gaping when she felt a bruising shove to her chest, sending her flying through a tree and into the dirt.

She spat out a mouthful of moss and rocks, springing back to her feet with a curse. Maura was sneakier than she'd thought, but it wasn't over yet. Closing her eyes, Jane started to use her own power, the same power that had saved her life against the Volturi pyrotic. The energy vision cut through the illusion of Maura's invisibility, lighting her and the rest of the landscape up in colourful and exquisite detail. Jane could easily see Maura sprinting in for another punch, her expression confident but calm.

Jane spun and grabbed Maura's wrists, spinning her around and throwing her gracefully through the air. Maura spun as she hit the ground, managing to come out of the fall with momentum she could use. She grabbed a nearby tree, ripping it from the ground and tossing it at Jane in one smooth motion.

Lunging to the side, Jane managed to avoid the tree, but suddenly found herself frozen in place. Betty's power. She was still using her energy vision, so she could clearly see Maura moving behind her, ready to grab her and wrestle her to the ground.

Unwilling to lose, Jane readied her last resort. Jane knew from experience that Maura couldn't mentally restrain her and touch her at the same time, so she'd have a brief opportunity. She focused her attention on a log about ten metres to her right, hoping it would be far enough away. As soon as Maura released her mental hold, the log started to glow, and Jane internally winced at what she was about to do.

The log exploded, showering them both in moss, wood and dirt. Maura instinctively let go of Jane and covered her face, also pushing Jane away from the explosion. Her defensive move allowed Jane to immediately spin around, grabbing Maura by the shoulders and pinning her to the ground before she could recover.

Jane was about to lower her teeth to Maura's throat, not to bite but to show that the fight was over, when she was suddenly overcome with remorse and guilt. She released Maura's shoulders and opened her eyes, about to apologise.

She realised Maura was still invisible and had rolled away from her at the same moment the artificial guilt disappeared. Before she even had time to close her eyes and find Maura again, she felt a harsh shove under her shoulder blades, and found her face in the dirt yet again. Maura's knee was in her back, her hands were being held down to the ground, and she could feel Maura's teeth on her neck.

With no small amount of shock, Jane realised she'd lost.

Without even needing her most devastating offensive ability, the painful torture glare she'd gotten from Jane the Volturi, Maura had won. There was no sign of uncontrollable violence, no hesitation, just logical application of her powers and their environment until she found a way to beat Jane.

Before she could react, Jane felt the sensation of Maura's emotions infiltrating her mind again, the same power that had made her lose the fight. This time, there was no overwhelming guilt, but just an all access pass into Maura's state of mind. Jane could feel the turbulent outer layers of emotion, the uncertainty in her sense of self. She could feel the healthy dose of fear about the upcoming fight, and a small amount of self-doubt.

But below those surface emotions, Jane could feel Maura's essence. The core of Maura's being was steady and sure, not confused or hesitant. She obviously had worked out whatever issues had caused her to run, either during the conversation with Constance, the run back or during the fight. Whatever had happened, Maura was clearly determined, clear in her purpose, and resolved to see this through to the end.

As Maura's influence started to recede, Jane was swept up in the positive emotions starting to reassert themselves in Maura's head. She could feel the compassion she held for the Cullens, and the hybrids, and all the innocents that could be harmed if the Volturi weren't stopped. She felt the relief at regaining some control over her own mind, and satisfaction at mastering her vampiric powers enough to defeat Jane in a physical fight.

Finally, Jane felt the overwhelming love and loyalty Maura felt towards her and the rest of their family. She knew she was seeing the basic truth of Maura, the most important thing in her world, and Jane understood just how much Maura needed to protect those she loved. She realised how hurtful her earlier attempts to dissuade Maura from fighting must have been, but she could feel that she was already forgiven, since Maura understood her basic nature as well. They were both protective to a fault, and instead of fighting that, she needed to embrace it.

Jane felt Maura's mouth move from her neck to her ear, and heard Maura's steady rasp. "I'm not that scared little pathologist that needed you to save her all the time. I'm not broken. I'm someone who can take care of herself, and those who rely on me. I also understand that you're still the same Jane Rizzoli that always defends people, no matter the cost to herself. I think we both know who we are now. How about we stop trying to go on solo suicide missions, and just agree to protect each other?"

When Maura let her up, Jane rolled onto her back, looking up at her friend in amazement. Not only had Maura convincingly won the fight, but she had entirely obliterated any protest Jane had about her state of mind. There was no doubt over how far Maura was willing to go, or her capabilities. She was resolved, she was capable, and she was ready.

Maura was looking back with a cautious expression, obviously trying to figure out if Jane was angry. When Jane smiled genuinely, unable to stop herself feeling proud of the way Maura had handled herself, Maura returned it with relief. She offered Jane a hand up off the ground, and pulled her into a tight hug when she accepted.

Jane hugged Maura with no small amount of relief. She hadn't been quite sure if this little skirmish was a good idea, but in hindsight they had both needed it. Maura had shown both of them exactly what she was capable of, and it was impressive.

While it may be true that Jane hated to be wrong, she could admit it when it happened. She had been wrong about Maura, for a while now. It had seemed like she was teetering on the edge of sanity, of losing everything that made her Maura. Whether that was true or not, it was obvious now that Maura had won the battle. She may not have figured everything out about her new self, but the important stuff was in place. Control, purpose, loyalties, limits, bravery, love, it was all there in the Maura she now held tightly. Jane knew she had to stop underestimating her best friend, and instead give her the support and friendship she deserved.

Jane let go of a breath she hadn't meant to hold, and it felt good as she finally replied to Maura's question. "I think I can handle that agreement. We both protect each other. Nobody runs. Nobody dies."

Maura just smiled and hugged her harder. They both took a moment to soak in the implications of their little sparring match, and re-evaluate their view of the other. It had been a big few days, but it felt like an equilibrium had been reached, at least until the next earth-shattering event tried to break them once again.

When they finally broke apart, Jane grinned again before letting the seriousness of their situation sink back in. "So, I take it you still want to get into a fight with the Volturi?"

Maura nodded confidently, her whole demeanour appearing settled and committed. "I need to do this. For myself, for you, for everyone they've hurt, and for everyone we know they'll hurt if they aren't stopped."

Jane nodded in agreement, before sighing in resignation. "There's one person they've hurt that you don't know about. I didn't want to tell you before you'd decided if you were ready for this. Honestly I was hoping you'd find out after it was all over. I suspect Constance didn't say anything for the same reason. We wanted you to decide on your own if you wanted to help, not be pressured into it by obligation or guilt."

Apprehension was growing on Maura's face with every word Jane spoke. "Who is it, Jane?"

Jane took a deep breath, steeling herself before delivering the news. "According to Esme, the reason Constance was at the house was because of Hope. Since the ball, when Hope was exposed to Jasper's power, her health has rapidly declined. Her mind has been constantly assaulted by heightened emotions and harassment from her mental attacker, and it pushed her past the point where she could endure it. Constance had taken her to a few doctors, lying through her teeth about the cause of Hope's condition, but they had been unable to help. As a last resort, Constance got in contact with the Cullens in the hope that they could do something.

"They had been there for all of three hours when the Volturi attacked. Constance had been discarded as irrelevant, but Hope was taken. The fact that she had given birth to an extremely gifted vampire, as well as her own reactions to vampiric powers, must have made Aro think she was valuable. Esme thinks he'll try to turn her."

If vampires could go pale, Maura would have been whiter than a sheet, panic clear on her face. "Or they might try to use her to breed another hybrid! Jane, we have to get her back! Now!"

Jane nodded in agreement before pulling Maura with her back to the Cullens.

Emmett met them as the returned to the group, a huge grin on his face. "Were you guys fighting? I so wanted to come watch, but Esme said you might need privacy or something. Was it awesome? Did you film it?"

Jane shoved past the gleeful vampire, rolling her eyes for good measure. Rosalie gave him an indulgent yet exasperated smile, shrugging apologetically at Jane. Esme shooed him away, quietly asking Maura and Jane if they were alright.

When she was satisfied that neither of them were injured, she waved them over to sit with the other Cullens. The hybrids were all sitting together around a small fire that someone had built far enough away to be out of earshot, and seemed content for the moment.

Esme gestured to her phone, speaking quietly but seriously. "I managed to contact our friends. We have all the reinforcements we can muster coming to meet us. I think with their help, we should be able to match the Volturi for long enough to rescue our family and escape."

Jane cleared her throat to interrupt. "Esme, I'm sorry to have to push this, but we can't just distract the Volturi. We need to fight them, and we need to win. If we let them walk away from this fight, they will only get stronger. They will be back, and next time we might not be lucky enough to escape. We need to finish this, now."

Emmett looked enthusiastic in his agreement, and Maura nodded in resignation, but Rosalie and Esme looked unconvinced, so Jane continued. "Look, if we let them keep breeding hybrids and adding to their guard, they won't need to keep pretending their actions are to preserve the big secret. They can just take people whenever they like, and kill whoever they like, and they won't bother to be politically correct about it. Who knows, if their numbers increase enough, they might not care about the secret anymore. They might start killing humans out in the open. They might start World War Three, and we all know humans wouldn't come out on top of that fight."

Esme and Rosalie seemed to be coming around, so Jane launched into her plan. "I think we need to take out Aro and the other leaders. Probably most of the guard that have been there for a while too. Some of the new ones might be able to be convinced, but the rest are tied together emotionally, right? So they'll keep fighting together until the end."

Esme piped up with a clarification, still keeping her voice low so the hybrids wouldn't hear anything about battles and killing. "That means Aro, Caius, Marcus and Chelsea. Jane and Alec have already been taken care of, and the rest aren't leaders. Chelsea is the one who ties the Volturi together, so if we can destroy her we might break their bond and be able to convince some of the guard to see reason."

Jane nodded thoughtfully, but didn't interrupt as Emmett took over the strategizing. "We need to take out Renata as well. She's Aro's personal shield. Also we'll need to take out Felix and Demetri, they're too loyal to Aro. Also, Demetri can find people anywhere in the world, so if this all goes sideways and we need to run after all, we need to take him out so we can hide."

Maura looked unsettled at the implications of the numbers they were discussing, but contributed anyway. "Do any of them have mates? My understanding is that any mates of murdered vampires tend to become rather vengeful."

Esme made a small hurt noise at the mention of mates, so Rosalie hurriedly answered. "Aro and Caius both have mates, Sulpicia and Athenodora. Chelsea's mate is Afton, I believe you may have met him at the house. He can turn invisible, and make one or two other people invisible as well."

Maura shuddered slightly at the mention of the fight back at the burning Cullen house, and Jane put a comforting hand on her arm before continuing. "Okay, so it sounds like we need to take all of them out if we really want this to be over for good. Anything less and we'll either be running for the rest of our lives or dead. Agreed?"

The Cullens and Maura nodded, some with more reluctance than others. The group sat in silence for a few moments, thinking about the consequences of their decision, but nobody spoke up with either a protest or a better idea.

After a few minutes, Emmett cleared his throat to break the silence. "So, we have our targets, but do we know where to go? I mean, I guess at some point the Volturi will head back to Volterra. Do we think they'll go straight there, or wait here in the States until they have their new hybrids under control?"

Jane happened to glance at Maura when realisation spread over her features. "I think I know where they are. When Afton was running away from the house, I got a quick flash of his thoughts. I saw Aro, Afton was worried about explaining the death of the pyrotic guard to him. I also saw a small airfield, I think it was a private one owned by the Volturi. It's big enough for a plane that could fly to Italy. I can take us there, it's about an hour away at a vampiric run."

Esme cleared her throat painfully. "But what if they're already gone? They had several hours head start, they might have already left."

Rosalie and Emmett immediately rushed to Esme's side and pulled her into a crushing group hug, while Maura tried to assuage her fears. "I think there is a good chance they'll still be there. As Emmett said, they will want to have the hybrids bonded to the Volturi before they load them onto an aircraft. And they may decide to stay and deal with us, Afton will have reported our survival by now. It would be tactically unwise to leave us free, and the Volturi haven't served their purpose this long by leaving loose ends."

Esme nodded miserably, looking like she half believed them but couldn't quite shake her fear. Rosalie and Emmett both looked more enthusiastic, and smiled encouragingly at Esme in an attempt to pull her out of her funk.

Jane smiled, suddenly feeling more hopeful. "Okay, we have our target. How far away are your friends, Esme?"

Esme pulled out her phone and quickly read a message. "I think they can be here in three hours or so. They had a fair way to run, but they are also very fast."

Jane nodded and considered their options. "I think you and Rosalie should take the hybrids somewhere safe. They need to be looked after, and I suspect you two are the best suited."

The rage that crossed Esme's face surprised Jane in its intensity. "I am not staying behind. Those monsters have my husband, and I will not be leaving without him. Emmett can help Rosalie, but I'll be going with you."

Jane wanted to argue, but she was dissuaded by an urgent tug on her arm from Maura. At Jane's confused look, Maura simply shook her head and replied to Esme in her place. "I understand, Esme. I can feel how important this is to you. We won't stand in your way."

Esme breathed out in a huff, abruptly spinning around and walking back to the hybrids. Rosalie and Emmett followed her, and the Cullens started organising the hybrids for travel.

Jane looked at Maura questioningly, and Maura patted her arm before quietly replying. "I could feel how much she needs to be there. She'd go by herself and get killed if we tried to stop her. I know how she feels, I'd probably do the same if you went without me. Honestly Rosalie and Emmett feel the same, they love Carlisle and their siblings too, but they are putting their feelings aside so Esme can go instead of them."

Jane couldn't help comparing Emmett's towering stature with Esme's tiny frame and sighing in resignation, but she decided to defer to Maura's judgement. They watched as Emmett corralled the hybrids into a shaky line. Rosalie finished hugging Esme goodbye before leading the hybrids into the forest, with barely a glance back at Jane and Maura. Emmett picked up the still bound newborn, slinging him over a shoulder with no sign of strain. He merrily waved at Jane and Maura, before giving Esme a quick hug and following the last of the hybrids.

Esme sat down dejectedly as soon as the group were out of sight. Jane frowned sadly, realising how close the Cullens all were and how hard it must be to leave the rescue of their family to two almost strangers. But they had, in part because Jane and Maura were rescuing family as well. Only Hope was much more fragile than the Cullens, and could be killed much more easily.

Esme eventually pulled herself together and walked over to Jane and Maura. "I think we need to work out our strategy. I won't have anyone getting hurt unnecessarily. Maura, did you see enough in Afton's head to tell us the layout of the airfield?"

As Maura nodded and started drawing out a rough sketch in the dirt, Jane's strategic mind kicked into gear. She had planned many police raids over the years, and this was the same principle, simply with different combatants. She knew most of the players on both sides, and she knew her goals. She just had to arrange the pieces to ensure their side would win.

After a lot of discussion, a plan had formed and was becoming more plausible. Sharing a hopeful glance with Maura, Jane felt like they actually had a chance of getting out of this alive. It relied on a bit of luck, and there were plenty of unknowns, but there was definitely a chance.

When they had talked everything out as much as possible, Esme walked away again to find some solitude before they moved to meet her friends. Jane understood the need, she had often drifted away from her colleagues before a difficult operation in an attempt to clear her mind. In this case, however, she wanted to spend some quiet time just enjoying Maura's company. During the course of their planning, Maura had proved that she still ranked among the genius club, giving them many brilliant insights and ideas to use against Aro. Any chance they had was due to the combination of Esme's intimate knowledge of the Volturi, Jane's tactical skill and Maura's intellectually superior suggestions.

They had a difficult battle ahead, but as Maura leaned into her side to gain a small measure of comfort, Jane realised she was satisfied, if not exactly happy, with how things had turned out. She had a mission, she knew her allies, she knew how necessary it was to succeed, and she was certain of her path. After all the uncertainty, all the pain, all the grief and the guilt and the trauma, they were here. She knew Maura would stick by her side, as she would always protect Maura, and she knew whatever happened that they had tried their best. Their place had always been here, and it would always be here. Between the bad guys and the innocent rest of the world.

Together.


	33. Chapter 33

Hi all!

Welcome to the latest installment! Apologies for the wait. These chapters are getting tricky, which necessitates a bit of time, but hopefully it will all be worth it in the end!

Thanks as always to JaneyGWF for her betaing help.

Enjoy, and please let me know your thoughts!

* * *

The tiny airfield looked peaceful and quiet in the pre-dawn light, but still somehow radiated menace. There was one small road that led to the property, winding through the trees in a meandering way that suggested an attempt at misdirection. This airfield was built to be hidden.

The only structure was a small hangar, big enough for one aircraft. There were jet fuel tanks on the side of the hangar, and it opened directly onto the runway. One jet sat outside the hangar at the end of the runway, seemingly ready to fly. Thanks to some borrowed knowledge from an unknown donor, Maura identified it as a Dassault Falcon 900LX, more than capable of a direct flight to Italy from the States. There were signs that the long runway had been recently cleared, most likely by vampiric hands. The Volturi obviously only used this facility sparingly, and didn't bother with upkeep in between visits.

The guard was spread around the perimeter of the airfield, keeping a distance from the surrounding trees. They had barely moved since Maura had started watching, and they showed no signs of boredom or restlessness. They looked like a professional, well trained group, and Maura was not looking forward to any confrontation with them.

Fortunately, the wind was blowing strongly, so Maura and the others had been able to approach from downwind and remain undetected. The thick forest gave them plenty of places to hide out of sight, while the slight slope they were positioned on allowed them to see everything their opponents were doing. Once the sun came up in a little over an hour, the vampires would have to take care to stay out of the sun or risk their shimmering skin being seen.

As she tried to be patient and wait for their plan to commence, Maura found the tension hard to take. She kept replaying their planning and preparation, trying to find any flaws, but kept coming to the conclusion that they had done all they could, and she simply needed to remain still and watch. Her mind refused to stay settled however, so she went through it all yet again.

Many hours ago, they had broken camp and sped towards the airfield as soon as they finished planning. Esme had suggested they hunt on the way, to restore their strength. Both Jane and Maura were reminded that neither of them had eaten since before Maura regained consciousness, since they had turned down Betty's blood bags, and they had been through a lot since then.

The experience of hunting together had proved most entertaining for Maura, as Jane was being completely truthful when she confessed to having no vampiric hunting instincts. Maura had been treated to the sight of Jane attempting to wrestle a bear to the ground, trying to pin its arms like a perp. After several minutes of struggling, Jane let the bear get away mostly unscathed while Maura laughed uncontrollably. Torn between not wanting to hurt the bear and knowing she somehow needed to feed, Jane finally asked Maura for help with a disappointed scowl.

The awe on Jane's face when she watched her successfully hunt a bear had caused an odd mix of emotion in Maura. She still instinctively flinched away from her instincts, ashamed that she could perform such a predatory act so naturally. At the same time, she had a sense of pride that there was something she could undeniably do better than Jane, and that she could share with Jane.

When Jane managed to copy her motions clumsily and fed off her first bear, Maura couldn't help but smile. Jane had wanted to watch her hunt right back when Maura had first been changed, and it was finally possible. It was something they could do together, rather than being a source of danger and discomfort. Unfortunately, Jane had already seen Maura feed, when she was almost mindless and injured, but this was less animalistic, and less inhuman. They were hunting for a reason, and being as kind to their prey as possible. Maura had felt a pang of yearning, for the life they might one day have if their plan succeeded. It wasn't what she would have ever imagined for herself or for Jane, but there was potential for their life to be good, and useful, and not as lonely as she had wholeheartedly feared.

When they had hunted their fill and felt as energised as possible, they had found Esme and continued on. As they ran towards their planned meeting, the three continued to discuss both Maura's and Jane's powers, hoping to find any insights that could potentially turn the tide of the coming confrontation. Esme had years of first-hand experience with all the Cullen powers, so she had plenty of advice for Maura. Jane was something different, as Esme had only ever met one other energy user. He had been able to control the elements, much like the pyrotic that Jane had blown up back at the Cullen house, and Esme relayed the few stories she had with as much detail as possible. Maura could tell from the thoughtful expression on Jane's face that Esme had given her a few ideas.

They had also discovered that Maura was capable of utilising more than one power at a time. She had been vaguely aware of this fact already, as she had been using empathy and mind reading at the same time at various times over the past day, but she hadn't consciously realised what she was doing. As they ran, Maura took the time to practice different combinations, carefully mapping out the mental connections and the mind-set to make them work. Since all mental powers required focus and concentration, it was debateable how many she would be capable of using at once during a fight, but at least she had some options available when the time came.

Finally the trio reached the agreed location and waited for the others. They hadn't had to linger more than a few minutes before they were abruptly surrounded by giant, snarling wolves. The look of astonished awe on Jane's face hadn't stopped her from pushing Maura behind her defensively, but fortunately no violence had erupted. Esme had calmed everyone down, and the wolves had turned into a group of angry looking young men. Their leader, Sam, had been wary of Jane and Maura's red eyes, but had accepted Esme's explanation of their circumstances. The rest of the pack had looked on all three vampires with great distrust and hatred, but had toned it down to angry glares after a few minutes of high tension.

Once everyone was introduced, Esme explained their roles in the upcoming confrontation, and everyone moved to their positions. Before Esme could settle in, Maura and Jane had pulled her aside, curious about why the wolves would help them given their obvious distaste for vampires. Esme briefly explained the origin of the pack, of their task as protectors of the Quileute tribe, and how their descendants sometimes developed the ability to shift when vampires were in the area. She also explained about the phenomenon of imprinting, and that the pack was here out of loyalty to one of their pack mates, Jacob, who was imprinted on Bella and Edward's hybrid daughter, Renesmee. Fortunately the pair were still in hiding, since Renesmee was still too young to get involved in a confrontation with the Volturi and Jacob would never risk her safety. In addition, the pack had faced off against the Volturi previously with no actual fight eventuating, and the pack was eager for the opportunity to actually engage the group in battle. Their very existence was an anathema to the pack, so this chance to remove them from the world would be eagerly embraced, despite the danger.

Once Maura and Jane had accepted the explanation, Esme had moved to her position and settled in to watch and wait. Jane had given Maura a disbelieving look, still amazed by the amount of new information they'd had to absorb in the past week, before putting on a resolved and determined visage and moving to her designated spot. Maura had smiled at her friend warmly before finding her own vantage point, and immediately started doing her part to prepare. That had been more than two hours ago, by Maura's reckoning.

Maura resisted the urge to sigh impatiently, and instead rechecked her mental connection to her companions. She had been using Bella's shield power to protect the minds of the entire group, and she could feel each person's position as if they were illuminated with a spotlight. Fortunately the wolves had some sort of group mind when shifted, so once Maura's shield found one of them, they were all under her protection. This oddity required less concentration, so it was most welcome since she was sure she'd need all her focus once the action began.

Since they were in such a remote area, she had been able to use Edward's mind reading power without hesitation, where before she had been reluctant to utilise it given how overwhelming it could be around crowds. In this situation however, it would be extremely useful. She could hear everyone in their group reporting what they could see, and she could also hear their opponents.

Fortunately, she had also been able to hear Edward, who could hear her as well, allowing them to have a mental conversation the Volturi couldn't overhear. He had managed to relay the events following their capture at the house, and some information about the Volturi. He was extremely worried about Carlisle, who had been separated from the group to prevent the other Cullens from causing trouble. Aro had demanded that Bella not use her shield, either on herself or the other Cullens, and Bella had grudgingly agreed. It had seemed like an odd request, since none of the Cullens had any intention of escaping while Carlisle was in Aro's hands, but Edward hadn't been able to work out why Bella's shield was important. It did mean that Maura couldn't risk including the captive Cullens or Hope in her shield, since Aro would most likely have a way to detect it and might take out his displeasure on Carlisle.

The Volturi were apparently in no hurry to leave. They had arrived at the airfield several hours ago, with their captives perfectly under control, but instead of immediately boarding their plane and leaving, the majority of the guard had been directed to create a perimeter around the hangar.

The prisoners had been secured inside the plane at the back, all of them carefully restrained, with two Volturi watching them carefully. Hope had been brought in later and secured with them, clearly still alive and unharmed by the Volturi, however she seemed to be unconscious. Edward couldn't tell whether she had been knocked out, sedated, or if the toll on her mind had simply become too great. Hope looked unhealthy and fragile, and obviously needed help soon.

After overseeing the Cullens being situated on the plane, Aro had gone inside the hangar talking with Carlisle, discussing inane topics that related to nothing. Edward had been unable to read Aro or any of the high ranking Volturi since they first encountered them, so he suspected the chatter was simply Aro concealing his true motives as always. The rest of the Volturi inner circle had followed them, and closed the door. They had been in there for hours, and nobody on the outside had thought to question how long they would be waiting.

When Afton had returned, he had immediately gone into the hangar, and hadn't come back out. The newer guards were nervous about the fact that he had come back alone, since he hadn't filled them in on what happened to his companion. Since she was new like them, it suggested they might be more expendable than they had hoped, and their unease seemed to be growing by the minute. Edward had been encouraged by the apparent building dissention in Aro's forces, but he was in no position to take advantage. He suspected Jasper had been trying to subtly influence their guard's emotions, heightening any fear and distrust, but they couldn't communicate well enough for him to ask without tipping off their guards.

Maura had dutifully passed on what information she and Edward had been able to glean to their allies, including the numbers of Volturi and the powers they knew about. Out of the twenty two guards outside, three were hybrid mothers that had developed energy powers when they turned. The rest had been Volturi for much longer, between five years and several decades. None of them were exceptionally gifted, only loyal and obedient. Reading between the lines, Maura realised that these members of the guard were basically cannon fodder, raw muscle for Aro to throw at a problem before his real heavy hitters mopped up.

The three new energy users were more interesting. Cassandra could manipulate water, and was idly splashing a nearby puddle with her mind as she waited. Her thoughts were slippery, and devious. It seemed as though she had joined the Volturi because it seemed like her only option for survival, not because she felt any loyalty. She seemed like the sort of person who was unable to trust, only staying with people when they were of use. Maura suspected that she would disappear and make her own way as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

Lily could read energy signatures, similar to what Jane could do, but didn't seem to have any active component to her power. She was also clearly hesitant about being part of the guard, and a good candidate for leniency once the fighting was done. She was disgusted at her new life, and the seeming need to take life when she got thirsty. Maura hoped that she might have an opportunity to help this woman, to explain her own discoveries about control and resisting the thirst.

The most alarming, Catalina, drained energy from her surroundings, including anyone she touched. It seemed that her power perfectly matched her personality, as she appeared to be cruel and vicious. Maura had 'heard' her recalling a particularly disturbing incident from her guard training. One of Aro's new recruits had disappointed him, and he had decided to test both Catalina's powers and loyalty. She hadn't hesitated, draining the life out of him in less than a minute. None of the other guards had dared to cross her since the demonstration, and Aro had been delighted with his new weapon. Catalina had clearly enjoyed the experience, and the power that came from being a murderous vampire. She was definitely going to be a dangerous opponent, and had been added to the list of targets for elimination. Maura knew there would be no talking her into a vegetarian lifestyle, since she had actively enjoyed causing suffering and death even before she became a vampire.

Edward had also managed to 'overhear' that there were only three more new guards with the group. They were siblings, triplets in fact, and they had some kind of mental power. The sister had been taken to breed a hybrid, and when her transformation was completed, Aro had immediately ordered her brothers taken and turned as well. The trio had been immediately welcomed to the inner circle, and Aro had rarely let them out of his sight. Nobody in the guard knew what their powers were, but there was no small amount of fear surrounding the Archer siblings. They were in the hangar with the rest of the Volturi leaders, and were Edward's best guess for the cause of the mental silence since there were no other unknowns in the group.

The last wild cards were Aro's hybrids. He had brought four with him, but unfortunately their powers had been kept a secret from everyone they could read. They were all the offspring of Alec, so it was likely that they had some kind of mental power, but since nobody really knew how hybrid powers developed, it was impossible to predict their abilities. The Volturi hybrids were slightly older than the others Maura had met, looking around fourteen years old, and had most likely been trained to be guards since birth.

The four hybrids Aro had brought were in the hangar, along with the eight they had abducted with the Cullens. There was no way to know what state they were in, since they were under the same mental blackout that was blocking Maura and Edward from reading everyone in the hangar. The plan was to get one of the younger wolves to lead them into the forest and away from the fight at the first opportunity.

The rest of the new guard and most of Aro's hybrids had been left back in Volterra, being trained by Demetri. This detail made their victory today even more necessary, since Demetri would be able to find them and direct any pursuit. However, everyone else on their hit list was present, and inside the hangar.

After hearing all the information Maura had obtained, the group had decided to sit and wait until someone left the hangar, so Maura could try and discover what had been going on. Alternatively, if anyone started the plane, they were all primed to attack immediately, to prevent their family from being lost. Everyone had lost some confidence after hearing about the capabilities and temperaments of the new guard, but there was still hope that they could succeed.

However, that had been hours ago, and it felt like waiting any longer was not going to achieve anything. Maura was about to find Jane and suggest they alter their plan when she heard a ripple of thought from their allies. Someone was approaching from downwind, a vampire. Before anyone could react, Betty was in their midst, carefully holding up her hands in surrender. She flinched back from a massive brown wolf that snapped at her, but fortunately nobody made any noise that could be heard by the Volturi.

Maura rushed to her side, gesturing for everyone to stand down and return to their surveillance of the airfield. The wolves didn't look like they wanted to yield to her request, but after a few tense moments Sam stepped in and gave Maura a distrustful nod. Betty, looking harried, quickly grabbed Maura and pulled them well out of earshot.

When they abruptly stopped, Betty didn't waste any time with pleasantries. "We've got a problem. We managed to get the network back up, but it's very fragile. We used to have all sorts of contingencies and parallel processes in place to make the network run smoothly, but they took time to build. We haven't had that time yet. Aro is doing something to take advantage of the situation. We don't know what exactly, we can't read anything from the Volturi for some reason, but from what we know of his motives we suspect he's trying to commandeer the network. We need to stop him, now."

Maura nodded seriously, thinking through their plan and situation. "We've been watching the Volturi and waiting for an opportunity to attack. I think Aro is using some of his new recruits and possibly the rest of his inner circle to do whatever he's doing. They're all in the hangar. I haven't been able to read them either."

Betty gripped Maura's arm desperately. "We can't wait. We need to attack right now. I'll help you, just tell me what to do."

Maura smiled in appreciation. "Use your gift to freeze the Volturi and set them up for our attacks. Just watch the battle from afar and help where you can."

Betty nodded with determination, and they returned to Maura's previous position, with a view of the airfield. Nothing had changed during their brief conversation. However, just as she was about to call Jane over to suggest attacking immediately, the hangar door finally opened. She tensed in response, as did everyone else, and Maura started trying to reach out and read whoever emerged.

She heard Esme helpfully identify the Volturi as Caius, although the long blond hair and the superior attitude had already made his identity clear. He was dragging Carlisle with him, the Cullen patriarch looking decidedly worse for wear. Maura 'heard' Esme gasp and rage as they saw hairline cracks all over his face and arms, clear signs of being either attacked or tortured.

Caius yelled for two of the guard to take Carlisle, ordering them to bind him and put him in the plane with the others. It sounded like the Volturi were finally about to leave, which meant that whatever they were up to in the hangar was almost finished. Before Maura could react, she heard Jane mentally swear as a blur of limbs shot out of the trees and flew towards Carlisle.

Maura realised their element of surprise had just disappeared as Esme leaped over the perimeter of Volturi and lunged towards her husband, who saw her coming and weakly yelled for her to keep away. Esme ignored him, displaying impressive agility as she evaded the guard and managed to make it into his arms. They embraced frantically, only managing a few seconds of comforting closeness before Caius grabbed Esme by the hair and pulled her away. With dizzying reflexes, Esme turned and punched him in the face, following the move with a lunge at the nearest Volturi.

The Cullens and three nearby guards practically vanished in a blur of vampiric speed, which Maura had trouble following. Caius stepped away from the melee, anticipating a swift victory for his guards. His face morphed from gleeful pride to shock a mere second later when a huge werewolf lunged at his head. Sam had led the charge, and his first target was Caius.

Maura realised with a gasp that she was the only one that hadn't moved. All their allies had taken Esme's move as the cue to attack. More wolves shot past her and lunged for the nearest Volturi, who quickly reacted with brutal force. Streaks of red, brown, black and blond fur shot across the field, mixing savagely with blurs of black and red. She immediately launched into motion, dashing forward to the edge of the trees, stopping once she had an unobstructed view of the whole airfield and was in range to use her abilities easily. She felt Jane moving towards the plane to free Hope and the Cullens as planned, and started to enact her role as ranged support.

Ignoring the blurs of motion around her, Maura focused on finding her targets. The first was Catalina. She was too dangerous to be allowed free reign of the battlefield, and it had been agreed that Maura needed to remove her from the equation altogether. She found the newborn chasing a young werewolf and immediately froze her in place, the vampire falling on her face and remaining motionless. Using a combination of Betty and Edward's powers, Maura managed to maintain her grip on Catalina while diverting her gaze to another target.

Next she found Caius. Without their leaders, they hoped the Volturi would become disorganised and easier to overcome. He had managed to evade his werewolf attacker and was rallying a group of guards to make a concerted assault. Maura's power washed over him mid-sentence, and the guards around him stared in confusion for several long seconds before they were set upon by a team of werewolves.

Lastly Maura located Cassandra. She took a moment to assess her frame of mind, and found her edging towards the forest at the perimeter of the airfield with Lily. They had both taken one look at the pack of werewolves and decided to take their chances on the run. Maura let them go, and watched as the disappeared into the forest. Two less to worry about.

Maura spotted a few more Volturi standing frozen and found Betty watching the field from the trees. She was working with a group of four werewolves, setting up targets and letting them knock them down. They were making a very efficient team, and were carving through the guard quickly. They had already managed to eliminate two male guards, and the rest of the Volturi were giving the group a wide berth as they tried to form a defence.

The rest of the battle was more even, as despite the surprise of being suddenly attacked by a pack of werewolves, the guard were frighteningly efficient warriors. They worked together to repel attacks efficiently, and there were at least four wolves injured after a failed attempt at taking on the guard. The fight had passed the quick and brutal initial charge with minimal casualties, and everyone was being more cautious, teaming up and waiting for opportunities.

Maura paused to ensure her holds on Caius and Catalina as well as her shield for the group were still intact, and that she could still feel everyone. It seemed as though everyone was accounted for, and Jane had just reached the plane unnoticed. Her assigned partner, an angry werewolf named Paul, jumped through the door and charged into the cabin. Jane quickly followed, and within moments Jane mentally called out that they had defeated the guards and were freeing the Cullens. Paul shot back through the door immediately, lunging at the first Volturi he saw with a vicious snarl.

As Maura was about to find another target, she suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure against her shield. She managed to hold it, keeping all her allies protected, but it was a tremendous strain, bringing her to her knees with a cry of pain. The pressure increased, threatening her control, and she closed her eyes, focussing all her attention on maintaining the shield. She had no idea where this attack had come from or what it was, but she was sure it would be the end of the fight if she allowed herself to crumble. She felt the shield compressing, tightening in on her, but she held on with an agonised cry, using all of her strength.

Abruptly, it was over. The pressure released, her shield springing back to full strength as she mentally flexed against nothing. Opening her eyes, Maura realised she was on the ground, her face in the dirt. She also realised she had lost her grip on Caius and Catalina.

When her frantic eyes whipped across the battle, she realised she had missed a lot of crucial events. Catalina had vanished from her sight. Betty and her wolves had taken out three more of the guard. Several more werewolves were limping or panting painfully after a failed attack. The Cullens had been released and had just left the plane, but they were now frozen in horror as they looked at the centre of the battle.

It seemed that Caius was done playing nice. His guards had managed to restrain Esme and Carlisle, both of them being held a few metres away on their knees. Caius had pulled out a weapon, a gun that was most likely loaded with incendiary ammunition. He was pointing it right at Esme with a sneer, and there was no doubt in Maura's mind that Esme was about to be executed for the affront of laying a hand on Caius.

Despite the mental fatigue that the mysterious mental attack had inflicted, Maura immediately tried to freeze Caius. However, despite the sensation of her power activating, Caius didn't so much as pause. As his finger tightened on the trigger, Maura threw her most devastating ability at him, directing all her desperation and fear into a spike of blistering pain that should have knocked him to his knees.

Instead, Caius' finger squeezed the trigger, and a loud gunshot froze the battlefield.

Maura's eyes shifted to Carlisle and Esme, realising there was nothing she could do. To her surprise, Esme was screaming at Carlisle desperately, pleading with him not to move. Instead, Carlisle had sprung to his feet with more strength than anyone could expect given his damaged state. The bullet intended for Esme pierced his chest, the cracks in his flesh allowing the bullet easy entry.

However, Carlisle didn't stop. He defied the momentum of the bullet and the force of the explosion as the ammunition detonated and started to burn his insides. With a superhuman effort, Carlisle charged at Caius, wiping the smug smirk of victory off his face with a brutal punch to the torso.

Carlisle had obviously put everything he had into that blow, as his hand penetrated Caius' chest and cracked the skin all around it. Tongues of flame licked between Carlisle's body and the new crater in Caius's body, spreading rapidly into the exposed interior. Caius was so surprised that he didn't react as he started to burn, he simply stared at Carlisle in shock as he tried to understand how his long, brutal and murderous life had come to end at the hand of one of the world's great pacifists. His unfeeling mind and heart hadn't understood that even a pacifist will go to extremes when their family is threatened.

Carlisle spun around, allowing him to look back at the rest of the Cullens standing in horror next to the plane. He smiled gently, conveying his pride and love for all of them with a fatherly look of affection. Finally he looked to Esme, his devotion and soul consuming love evident in his expression and in his contented smile.

Then the flames permeated through the cracks in his body, and he was consumed.


End file.
